Troops Cheer Rumsfeld, Myers at Baghdad Town Hall Meeting w/ Transcript

DoD-AFPS ^ | May 13, 2004 | SOD Rumsfeld, Gen. Myers, Gen. Sanchez, brave US troops, Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Troops Cheer Rumsfeld, Myers at Baghdad Town Hall Meeting

By Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample, USA
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2004 – Cheers and applause from hundreds of troops greeted Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers today when they arrived at Camp Victory in Baghdad for a "town hall meeting."

The secretary and the chairman spoke to the troops as part of a surprise visit to the Iraqi capital.

The secretary said he had just visited the Abu Ghraib prison and received assurances from those in charge that abuses there have ended.

"We've spent the day talking to people and seeing the steps that have been taken to see that those types of abuses to people for whom we have responsibility and custody will not happen again," he said.

The speeches by both men clearly provided a boost to the morale of troops beleaguered by a prisoner-abuse scandal that has led to congressional hearings and backlash anti-American sentiment throughout the Arab world.

Seven soldiers, all reservists assigned to the 372nd Military Police Company, are facing criminal charges resulting from the abuse of detainees while in military custody.

Saying the acts of abuse "betrayed our values and sullied the reputation of the country," Rumsfeld said the abuse does not reflect American values or the values of the troops assembled at the meeting.

"And I know that, and you know that, and your families know that," he added. "And we're proud of you, each of you. We're proud of your service."

The secretary told the troops that despite the controversy the military now faces, they are doing good deeds in Iraq.

"You've built playgrounds and a sports complex; you've improved local health clinics; and you're showing the Iraqi people and, indeed, the people of the world who will look, the character of the country that we're from and the character of the men and women in the armed services."

Myers told the troops that he has never lost confidence in those who wear the uniform.

"I'm confident because you bring the essential goodness of America to our armed forces. I'm confident because you're well trained. I'm confident because you're well led, you're well equipped," he explained. "You understand the importance of what we do day in and day out, whether it's here in Iraq, or Afghanistan, or the Horn of Africa, or the Philippines, or wherever it is in the world that we serve the United States of America."

Rumsfeld reminded the troops that they face a tough road ahead in building a democracy in Iraq, but he added that one day they will look back and be proud of their service. "And you're going to say, 'It was worth it,'" he added.

Biographies:
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld
Gen. Richard B. Myers

[PhiKapMom]

Love Rummy and Gen Myers! He is one of my favorite generals!

[blackie]

Yep ~ it was one the week's highlights! :)

Trolls come and go ~ they are sad little insignificant creatures whining their lives away.

[MeekOneGOP]

[Dog Gone]

Thanks for posting this.

[isthisnickcool]

PKM, I have a buddy that was on Rumsfield security detail. My friends job was simple, if someone tried to hurt Rummy protect him. Or, as he was trained to do, take a bullet for Rumsfield if that was required. Something this fellow would have done without thinking.

My friend told me a story about a time where they had to move Rumsfield out of his hotel room. Immediately move him no matter what. Well, without going into great detail he told me something only the ladies might be interested in. Rummy wears "boxers". :)

One thing to consider about Rumsfield and Cheney and Bush, Condi, others and their whole families. They will NEVER be alone. They will always have to have protection. They will never be safe. Because some Islamic Nazi will be wanting to kill them. What brave men to put their lives on the line for us. Which they all did when they decided to make war. A war others would not have had the emotional, intellectual or moral fiber to wage. They are all brave men and women. My friend too. What a brave man.

We are so lucky to have people like this. And on the other side of the coin we are so unfortunate to have people like Ted Kennedy. Hey Teddy, fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

( SOD Rumsfeld was followed by Gen. Myers, who passionately defended our warriors - as usual. Hoo ah! )

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

 

GEN. MYERS:     Let me...tell you how proud I am to stand up here in this uniform, the same uniform you wear, and be part of this team.  You have never let us down.  Never, ever.  I have so much confidence in you.  Every time that I have to go in front of the public and talk about our military, sometimes it's about the good things we do; most of the time it's about that.  Occasionally it's about the few who stray.  But I have never lost confidence in the folks that wear this uniform.  (Applause.)

            And I'm confident for a variety of reasons.  I'm confident because you bring the essential goodness of America to our armed forces.  I'm confident because you're well trained.  I'm confident because you're well led, you're well equipped.  You understand the importance of what we do day in and day out... I'm confident because I know you know what you're doing, what the mission is, and you're ready to do it.

            I'm really confident in your leadership....everybody on down to the platoon sergeant and the squad leader, leadership that makes a difference all around this world every day of our lives.

          ...And the secretary mentioned the president came to the Pentagon this week.  And I'll tell you what.  As you look up the chain of command -- you couldn't have better leadership in providing us the direction, the resources -- and the strategic vision that we need to make a difference in this world.  And I'm talking about our Secretary of Defense and our Commander in Chief.

            AUDIENCE:  (extended applause.)

            GEN. MYERS:  I'll tell you also I'm confident about our justice system in the military...those who stray, there will be due process.  And those that are guilty of something, they'll be punished appropriately.  And those that aren't guilty will be returned to duty. That's the way it works. 

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

A Soldier's Judgement from his God

To all who serve, or love or care for those who do...*

The soldier stood and faced his God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as brightly as his brass.

Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?

The soldier squared his shoulders
And said, No Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint

I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough;
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills just got too steep,

And I never passed a cry for help;
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fear.

If you've a place for me, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much;
But if you don't, I'll understand.

There was silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

Step forward now, you soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets;
You've done your time in Hell.

  

 

                 

* Thanks Squantos, Jeff Head - for poem, title, first line... 

         ~  ~     

                         

 

[blackie]

The adults are in charge ~ Bump!

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

[Bahbah]

Thanks for the ping, PKM. I watched the whole thing. It was wonderful. Rummy and Myers were wonderful, and, as always, our troops were absolutely fantastic.

[PhiKapMom]

Thanks for posting that information!

My brother-in-law one time was on security detail for Clinton during the campaign, and I told him to duck if anything happened. If he was going to take a bullet, it shouldn't be for Clinton.

[Typelouder]

Thanks for the post. Our military's direction and it's leadership couldn't be in any better hands.

[Christian4Bush]

"Yeah but the prisoners gave him the cold shoulder (according to an earlier post) and that is what we will hear on the news tonight."

NUCK THE FEWS!!!!!!!!! They don't like us anyway...

[onyx]

Watching the snippets on TV
gave me the good kind of chills.
He loves the troops and they love him.

The media can go to hell.
Their treachery is well known by the troops.

[JLO]

Hope this pic posts ok. Looks like welcoming handshakes.

[JLO]

Nope, pic didn't work, as I'm html challenged. Hope someone else can fix this and post.

[JLO]

Not only html challenged, but otherwise, too, lol. Finally got it.

[oyez]

Would McNamara have gone to Nam and held such a meeting?

And got cheers?

Didn't think so.

[Right_in_Virginia]

No one should let a few bad apples spoil it for everyone else because our troops are doing a great job in Iraq under adverse conditions.

Amen!

May God bless our troops, their CIC and Secretary of Defense!

[DollyCali]

Oh dear Ragtime.. thank you , thank you , thank you !!!!

I had asked on another thread if anyone had a link to the transcript... and got no response.

You always come through. You always take a lot of YOUR precious time to make sure the news is there for us if we avial ourselfs. I don't always get to all but everytime I go to one of your threads, I am gratified, as I am now.

Did I say thank you?

:)

[DollyCali]

Try to control your emotions when posting , please!!!

BTW.. your profile page is a hoot...

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Rumsfeld, Myers Visit Abu Ghraib Prison

By Kathleen T. Rhem
American Forces Press Service

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait, May 13, 2003 – The United States' top military and civilian defense officials saw firsthand today improvements being made at Iraq's Baghdad Central Correction Facility, more commonly known as Abu Ghraib prison.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers briefly toured a portion of the prison during a daytrip to Baghdad.

Before the tour, they both spoke briefly to more than 100 soldiers in the base's dining facility about the photos of prisoner abuses that have been widely broadcast and published in recent weeks. "It doesn't represent America, it doesn't represent American values; it doesn't represent the values of … each of you," Rumsfeld said.

He told the soldiers those who perpetrated abuses will be brought to justice, so "the world will see how a free system, a democratic system, functions and operates transparently."

America isn't perfect, the secretary said to the soldiers. "But don't let anyone tell you that America's what's wrong with this world," he continued. "Because it's not."

Rumsfeld and Myers' party did not tour the portion of the prison in which American soldiers are reported to have mistreated Iraqi detainees, which is known as the "hardsite." The officials were given a windshield tour of Camp Ganci, a tented area that currently holds 3,200 detainees and has a capacity for 4,000.

Army Col. David Quantock explained the detainees live in 25-man tents. Quantock is commander of the 16th Military Police Brigade, which replaced the 800th MP Brigade, the unit whose soldiers appear in photos abusing prisoners.

He described some of the safety measures the prison staff has taken to ensure detainees' safety. Each tent is surrounded by sandbags stacked three high on all sides, and each cellblock has several concrete bunkers to protect detainees from mortar attacks.

Quantock said mortar attacks from outside the prison are one of the biggest threats facing the detainees. He was proud to report, though, that such attacks have stopped since a late-April attack that killed 22 detainees. He attributed the drop-off in attacks to "much more aggressive patrolling around the outskirts of (the city of) Abu Ghraib."

During Rumsfeld's tour of Camp Ganci, prisoners crowded the fences wherever the convoy of vehicles appeared. They were all dressed in civilian clothes ranging from sweatpants and T-shirts to traditional Arab garb. Guards appeared to stay outside the wire.

One group of prisoners held up a yellow sheet with, "What are you going to do about this scandl (sic)" written on it. Another held up a piece of cardboard with "help" scrawled on it. But during the official visit, no one got rowdy or out of hand.

Quantock explained there are few problems with the prisoners. Most behave as expected and even have a cordial relationship with the guards, he said. Each cellblock has a detainee "mayor" who helps resolve issues. Quantock said there are no special qualifications to be a detainee mayor, just "a good command of English" and a cooperative attitude.

Within the next week or so, the prisoners in Camp Ganci will be moved to the brand-new Camp Redemption. Rumsfeld and Myers toured the new facility as the finishing touches were being worked on.

Quantock explained the new camp will feature several improvements to make the detainees more comfortable. "We're going to do a lot better with this one," he said of Camp Redemption.

Camp Redemption will be covered in gravel; whereas Camp Ganci is all mud. Tents will have wooden floors, and prisoners will have cots in the new camp; neither amenity is available at Camp Ganci. And most importantly, Redemption will have electricity, and eventually, heating and air conditioning in the tents, Quantock said.

Only the most dangerous prisoners and those most valuable in terms of intelligence value are held in the hardsite, where the abuses are alleged to have taken place. Quantock said about 20 prisoners are housed there now.

The hardsite also houses the prison's only five women prisoners and about 1,400 Iraqi criminals, who are managed by the Iraqi corrections system. The women prisoners at Abu Ghraib are guarded by at least two female military police officers each shift to ensure modesty, Quantock said, adding that two of the female prisoners are set to be released in a matter of days.

The 16th MP Brigade, deployed from Fort Bragg, N.C., took command of the prison from the 800th on Jan. 31 – before the prison-abuse scandal made its way to the media. Quantock said he had "been told there were problems" when his unit was transitioning.

He offered his own take on the issue. "It's all about leadership standards," he said. "And that's what we've been focused on every day."

   ~ http://www.dod.mil/news/May2004/n05132004_200405134.html