Soldier Says He Asked Rumsfeld 'Armor' Question Without Aid of Embed

[Robbien]

NEW YORK In his first public account of last week’s contoversy, Spc. Thomas Wilson says that he came up with the now famous “armor” question for Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld himself, without the help of oft-criticized reporter Edward Lee Pitts. And he adds, "If this is my 15 minutes of fame, I hope it saves a life." The account appears in next week’s edition of Time magazine.

<snip>

After his convoy arrived at Camp Arijan in Kuwait, Wilson found hundreds of fully armored vehicles promised to another unit months down the road. Wilson says he asked if the 278th could use them in the meantime, and was told no. That inspired his question about the shortage of armor, which he showed to Pitts.

<snip>

The Time account continues: “As for Rumsfeld's brusque response — that even a fully armored vehicle ‘can be blown up’--Wilson says, ‘Personally, I didn't like that answer.’”

But he added, “I hope I didn't do any damage to Secretary Rumsfeld.”


http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000739870

[Ian David]

1. Thomas Wilson should have been Time's Man of the Year

[Straight Shooter]

4. You took the words right out of my mouth.

:thumbsup:

[K8-EEE]

10. You're Totally Right!!

Here's a guy I can respect....GWB? God. What a joke.

[Old Mouse]

14. You are right

and a quick thinker...

[imax2268]

16. I sent Time a email

saying that exact same thing...I told them that they are worthless to me now for putting BushCo's mug on the cover as Person of the Year...then I canceled my subscription...

[Ladyhawk]

2. Why should it matter where the question came from? It's a valid one. nt

[Disturbed]

3. Strange..

He hopes it doesn't do any damge to Rumsfailed, the War Criminal along with the CIC who have betrayed the troops?

[Stinky The Clown]

6. He's in the military. Rumsfailed runs the military. Hence

the disclaimer. I suspect a translation of that comment was "I want to go home on time".

[rpannier]

8. There is a regulation in the military

Against publickly criticizing those in your chain of command. He's probably trying to insulate himself just in case.

[uppityperson]

5. Distraction.

Don't let people think, attack the questioner rather than answer the question.

[Pirate Smile]

7. They do this every time. Richard Clarke, Paul O'Neil, etc. Somebody

has a valid criticism or question, they always (and the MSM frequently goes right along with BushCo)deflect the issue to something about the messenger. They really are experts at it.

[cliss]

9. Damage? (shakes head in disbelief)

When the truth finally comes out, we will amazingly discover that Rumsfailed was told not once, not twice, but probably SEVERAL times that the troops needed more armour. The arteries in his frontal lobe are so hardened by now, that they're not transmitting information into his calcified brain.

Time to throw out the old goat and get somebody who hears what people are saying.

Here's a little tidbit about RumsFool. In his now infamous speech to the troops in Kuwait, here's what he said as they first got started. "It's very early in the morning." "I'm an old man".

Check it out if you don't believe me. The old geezer is telling the truth, at long last.

[Barkley]

11. The troops are motivated to save each other lives and survive

I saw a picture posted on the DU by 'leftchick' that showed a GI risking his life to save a another wounded GI: both were eventually killed.

But the our Gov't's motive is the occupy Iraq and extinquish the resitance; the survival/ security of the troops is secondary. These are divergent goals and somewhat incompatible.

In contrast, the Iraqi resistors have a more unified goal: ending the occupation of there country.

[Sara Beverley]

12. Irony that this story will be in Time Magazine after it named Bush POY

Shows you what you should think of Person of the Year!

[VegasWolf]

13. If he dies becaue of lack of amor will he still "hope Sec.Rumsfeld is OK"

[truthisfreedom]

15. so how the f#@% did the administration manage to distract everyone with

the "planted question" story?

[Judi Lynn]

17. Saw a "Meet the Press" rerun late Sunday night (Monday morning)

and was lucky enough to hear Novak claim "someone put him up to it."

Typical Republican dodging and ducking responsibility. Still out there, hacking away at imaginary enemies trying to trap poor Mr. Rumsfeld and embarrass him in front of the world.

Never mind what the soldier asked. "Who cares," is basically what they're saying. Hope the soldier will be in touch with the press if things start going really rotten for him in his career.

[colonel odis]

18. the ultimate irony will be when they make sure he doesn't come home.

suicide mission, booby trap, whatever.

he basically signed his death warrant when he opened his mouth.