Defense Memo: A Grim Outlook

[Nottingham]

Defense memo: A grim outlook
Wed Oct 22, 6:39 AM ET Add Top Stories - USATODAY.com to My Yahoo!


By Dave Moniz and Tom Squitieri, USA TODAY

The United States has no yardstick for measuring progress in the war on terrorism, has not "yet made truly bold moves" in fighting al-Qaeda and other terror groups, and is in for a "long, hard slog" in Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites), according to a memo that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sent to top-ranking Defense officials last week.



Despite upbeat statements by the Bush administration, the memo to Rumsfeld's top staff reveals significant doubts about progress in the struggle against terrorists. Rumsfeld says that "it is not possible" to transform the Pentagon (news - web sites) quickly enough to effectively fight the anti-terror war and that a "new institution" might be necessary to do that. (Related item: Rumsfeld's memo)


The memo, which diverges sharply from Rumsfeld's mostly positive public comments, offers one of the most candid and sobering assessments to date of how top administration officials view the 2-year-old war on terrorism. It suggests that significant work remains and raises a number of probing questions but few detailed proposals.


"Are we winning or losing the Global War on Terror?" Rumsfeld asks in the Oct. 16 memo, which goes on to cite "mixed results" against al-Qaeda, "reasonable progress" tracking down top Iraqis and "somewhat slower progress" in apprehending Taliban leaders. "Is our current situation such that 'the harder we work, the behinder we get'? " he wrote.

more...
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=676&ncid=676&e=1&u=/usatoday/20031022/ts_usatoday/11915893

Rumsfeld is pretty frustarted :bounce:

[Nottingham]

1. I never thought Rumsfeld would admit defeat ! But heres the memo

Are we winning or losing the Global War on Terror?" Rumsfeld asks in the Oct. 16 memo, which goes on to cite "mixed results" against al-Qaeda, "reasonable progress" tracking down top Iraqis and "somewhat slower progress" in apprehending Taliban leaders. "Is our current situation such that 'the harder we work, the behinder we get'? " he wrote.


I think this is why Rumsfeld is on his way out! And getting rid of the Pentagon isn't going to help! :bounce:

[TahitiNut]

2. duplicate

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=178103

I'm locking this thread. Interested DUers are welcome to continue discussing this in the referenced thread.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation,
TahitiNut - DU moderator

[JPace]

3. It is like trying to kill fleas with hand grenades....

yes you will get some, but its expensive,
inefficient, messy, a waste of resources,
there is a lot of collateral damage, the
whole process pisses off all the neighbors
and most of the fleas are going to survive
and multiply.

So much for the AWOL regimes "war on terror".