Posted on 12/09/2004 9:22:17 AM PST by Nascardude
Edited on 12/09/2004 10:05:10 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
RUMSFELD SET UP; REPORTER PLANTED QUESTIONS WITH SOLIDER
Thu Dec 09 2004 11:49:38 ET
Chattanooga Times Free Press reporter Edward Lee Pitts is embedded with the 278th Regimental Combat Team, now in Kuwait preparing to enter Iraq, and is filing articles for his newspaper. Pitts claims in a purported email that he coached soldiers to ask Defense Secretary Rumsfeld questions!
From: EDWARD LEE PITTS, Chattanooga Times Free Press military reporter
Sent: Wednesday, December 8, 2004 4:44 PM
To: Staffers
Subject: RE: Way to go
I just had one of my best days as a journalist today. As luck would have it, our journey North was delayed just long enough see I could attend a visit today here by Defense Secretary Rumsfeld. I was told yesterday that only soldiers could ask questions so I brought two of them along with me as my escorts. Before hand we worked on questions to ask Rumsfeld about the appalling lack of armor their vehicles going into combat have. While waiting for the VIP, I went and found the Sgt. in charge of the microphone for the question and answer session and made sure he knew to get my guys out of the crowd.
So during the Q&A session, one of my guys was the second person called on. When he asked Rumsfeld why after two years here soldiers are still having to dig through trash bins to find rusted scrap metal and cracked ballistic windows for their Humvees, the place erupted in cheers so loud that Rumsfeld had to ask the guy to repeat his question. Then Rumsfeld answered something about it being "not a lack of desire or money but a logistics/physics problem." He said he recently saw about 8 of the special up-armored Humvees guarding Washington, DC, and he promised that they would no longer be used for that and that he would send them over here. Then he asked a three star general standing behind him, the commander of all ground forces here, to also answer the question. The general said it was a problem he is working on.
The great part was that after the event was over the throng of national media following Rumsfeld- The New York Times, AP, all the major networks -- swarmed to the two soldiers I brought from the unit I am embedded with. Out of the 1,000 or so troops at the event there were only a handful of guys from my unit b/c the rest were too busy prepping for our trip north. The national media asked if they were the guys with the armor problem and then stuck cameras in their faces. The NY Times reporter asked me to email him the stories I had already done on it, but I said he could search for them himself on the Internet and he better not steal any of my lines. I have been trying to get this story out for weeks- as soon as I foud out I would be on an unarmored truck- and my paper published two stories on it. But it felt good to hand it off to the national press. I believe lives are at stake with so many soldiers going across the border riding with scrap metal as protection. It may be to late for the unit I am with, but hopefully not for those who come after.
The press officer in charge of my regiment, the 278th, came up to me afterwords and asked if my story would be positive. I replied that I would write the truth. Then I pointed at the horde of national media pointing cameras and mics at the 278th guys and said he had bigger problems on his hands than the Chattanooga Times Free Press. This is what this job is all about - people need to know. The solider who asked the question said he felt good b/c he took his complaints to the top. When he got back to his unit most of the guys patted him on the back but a few of the officers were upset b/c they thought it would make them look bad. From what I understand this is all over the news back home.
Thanks,
Lee
EDWARD LEE PITTS FILED STORY ABOUT THE TROOPS BEFORE THE POW-WOW WITH RUMSFELD
Developing...
"now i also have to support a bunch of terrorists in iraq"
Kevlar = Fast AND tough. $$$ no object.
Thank you for posting this - I though it was so important it deserved it's own thread HERE
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1298060/posts?page=1
That's right. Tell the troops to stop whining. Support the troops my -ss.
Usually, the Republicans have good reason to blame media bias.
Your heart is clearly in the right place, but we do have to mind the store while fighting the dems, libs, commies, leftists, and terrorists. For example, I don't mind worrying (even out loud) about how long the war is. The sooner we can stabilize Iraq and put more pressure on Syria and Iran, the better. As for DU, I have never visited that site and I don't care about what they say. I'm not saying the war is taking too long, we have to be realistic, but I am looking forward to the day when we are doing less and Iraq is minding its own security.
My service to others including my country is the rent I pay for my time here on earth..
Yes we dealt with shortages all the time... in fact I think if some of the people on this thread would study history.. logistic has been the achilles heal of any military... it is what killed the Germans in their push during WW2. Same with the Japs the over extended themselves... Like Rummy said "you go to war with what you have not with what you would like to have."
A pattern that's only going spiral into more and more twisted facts and more outrageous lies. This Vietnam War Protest II is apparently going forward dispite John Kerry's resounding defeat. THIS time around it's even more like a brute force cyber attack than it would have been in 1970 if there had BEEN cyber attacks at the time.
I just dropped by MSN's site. They have a live poll asking whether you think the military is doing all it can to protect our troops. I voted yes" because I know they are....but the "No"s have it by 85%. 'Course, it might allow multiple votes, I didn't check that.
Actually, if you see the clip you don't see or hear this. This "erupting in cheers" is overstating the case of a few applauding.
You'd do better by not resorting to hyperbole.
UM...in this case, "the media" ADMITTED to priming a soldier before hand.
I forgot to add one to my list showing the choreography: the inundation of trolls we're getting.
You can't tell that "conservative" from Michael MOOer he does nothing but criticize Bush, generally with Lies. Fortunately most of the aware ones know he is clueless in the extreme and wrong about almost everything he comments on.
Gramps......thanks for noting my comment about the sandbags during Vn.......but I viewed THIS part as the key observation re this "armor" baloney.......THE WHOLE FRIGGIN PROGRAM CAME ABOUT AS A RESULT OF THE HANDIWORK OF SOME ORDINARY GI'S......and it is worth noting that DOD established a program because of it........screw the MSM and these trolls, they don't have a clue as to ORLL's and how they benefit GI's.
the other part of my prior post:
"Its nice that factory-produced "armor" is being retrofitted, but this whole issue is a tribute to the 'field expedience' of the American GI, which is what gave rise to DOD production of armor retrofits in the first place."
At work right now don't have a video/audio capable computer. will look at it at home tonight.
You forgot again: I was a soldier.
When will you learn that?
And exactly what truth was conveyed by the question? That soldiers in Kuwait are armoring Humvees. It's called barnyard engineering and happens all the time.
What truth was conveyed by the transcribed reply? That the DoD is working on it and already in the process of shipping over more heaviliy armored vehicles.
What is the media conveying? That the Pentagon is cavelier toward the safety of our troops, that Pitts and the soldier worked together to prime the soldier with his question and that Pitts is a coward who thinks an armored truck will save his butt from an EID.
The media has earned blame.
See #402. When can we expect your apology to Rumsfeld?
Our industrial base for producing armor isn't there.
We only have one factory capable of producing the grade of steel used in armor.
If you think you can retool a factory to produce teh armor quickly with no trouble at all and have it done by tomorrow, you're welcome to try.
Oh and that poll .. how much you wanna bet Chrissy Matthews leads his show tonight mentioning the poll
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