Good News in Iraq Being Ignored, Rumsfeld Says

DoD-AFPS ^ | May 12, 2004 | Gerry J. Gilmore

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Good News in Iraq Being Ignored, Rumsfeld Says

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 12, 2004 – Revelations of alleged abuses committed against detainees by U.S. soldiers at Abu Gharaib prison in Iraq are indeed "terrible," the Pentagon's top civilian acknowledged today in testimony before a Senate subcommittee.

However, such alleged acts, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld pointed out to members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, "certainly don't represent Americans or the American military."

And the "enormous progress" being made in Iraq, Rumsfeld asserted, is "getting ignored" by the media.

Schools and hospitals have been renovated and reopened since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, the secretary noted. Oil "is pumping," he observed, and Iraq has a new currency.

New Iraqi government ministries have been established ahead of the June 30 turnover of sovereignty, he noted, while provincial and municipal governments have been set up across the country.

In fact, 80 to 90 percent of Iraqis are "being governed by local councils," Rumsfeld reported. Yet, he lamented, "all we hear about are the problems."

Rumsfeld vowed to get to the bottom of allegations of detainee abuse in Afghanistan and Iraq. Yet, he cautioned Senators that more revelations of abuse "will come out in the days and weeks ahead, because we've got six investigations looking into all of this."

He said more information would become freely available to the public as the military investigations run their course.

Such a transparent process is a good thing, the secretary said, and "tells a whale of a lot about our country."

The secretary said he believes U.S.-coalition efforts in Iraq will ultimately be successful.

"And we're going to keep at it," he declared.

Biography:
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld

Related Site:
Prepar ed Testimony of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense

Related Article:
Rumsfeld Praises Iraqi Security Forces, Says to Expect Ups and Downs

[rwfromkansas]

Wonder if I can print these defense press service articles in my paper?

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

...the "enormous progress" being made in Iraq, Rumsfeld asserted, is "getting ignored" by the media.

In fact, 80 to 90 percent of Iraqis are "being governed by local councils," Rumsfeld reported. Yet, he lamented, "all we hear about are the problems."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We know, Mr. Secretary.

We care.

[quant5]

I like Rummy. Anybody that has half a brain knows it's an election year. Rummy is from the WWII era and knows we have an enemy to kill who may launch a nuke attack on our soil anytime. Somehow, winning the presidential election is more important than this to some people.

[First_Salute]

Bump.

One thing that would help, is for Freepers to call their local libraries and see to it that subscriptions for conservative media exist, and the media are in the stacks.

[PhiKapMom]

They are press releases -- you can get on distribution for them and get permission to print them. I am sure they would love to have someone start printing them as they are sent out all the time.

[SAMWolf]

Tell us something we don't know, bump. The Press has an agenda and good news doesn't fit into it.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

More Pro Military News that FOX, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC does not want you to see.

[DollyCali]

I ADORE RUMMY!

Thanks RAgtime!

[MEG33]

FYI

[EternalVigilance]

His remarks once again point up perfectly why we love and respect this man.

He speaks for us.

[SevenofNine]

Rackk itttt

Yeah I was watching Greta last night I finally saw that US marine picture with Iraqi schoolchidlren rack that

[ride the whirlwind]

In fact, 80 to 90 percent of Iraqis are "being governed by local councils," Rumsfeld reported. Yet, he lamented, "all we hear about are the problems."

This statistic is great! Thank goodness a lot of things are falling into place over there.

[onyx]

Thanks Tonk.
We're winning despite the damn media!

Praying for our brave troops
and our honest POTUS and
his administration.

[Spunky]

"More Pro Military News that FOX, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC does not want you to see."

Tonkin, in defense of Fox, FOX NEWS SUNDAY, with Chris Wallace, did an excellent story on what has been done in Iraq by our Military. He took the Tedd Koppel "Nightline" program, where Ted just showed the pictures and names of the 700 + killed and the next week (this past Sunday) took a lot of those names and pictures of those dead soldiers and told/showed what they had been building, helping with, etc. and that they did not die in vain.

You must have missed the program.

[BykrBayb]

A lot of us here have family in the military, so we know. The media needs to talk more about the good things we're accomplishing. Remember how genuinely patriotic everyone was for a couple days after 9-11? For some, that was just a temporary knee-jerk reaction, which they quickly got over. The media all promised to cover the war responsibly, and not show things that would compromise our security. Oh well, everything's back to normal.

[cgk]

Special Report with Brit Hume today had clips from Rumsfeld. He doesn't take much crap and I adore him for it. One senator (Dominici?) got so sick of Leahy's nonsense he started apologizing beginning with the "3000 dead on 9-11..." etc. It airs again tonight if you have the chance to catch it. 9pm pacific - Fox news.

[T'wit]

Actually, the more I hear about humiliating Iraqi terrorists, the more attractive it sounds. But I'm a soft-hearted guy. I'm in favor of treating them well. I even believe in conjugal visits, so we ought to keep some really pretty goats handy for them.

Conceivably some

[T'wit]

Now how did the /sarcasm warning disappear??

[Soaring Feather]

One senator (Dominici?) got so sick of Leahy's nonsense he started apologizing beginning with the "3000 dead on 9-11..." etc. It airs again tonight if you have the chance to catch it. 9pm pacific - Fox news.
I did hear that. I started cheering.