Rumsfeld Marks 9/11 Crash Site With Medallion Given to Troops

[Rose Siding]

SHANKSVILLE, Pa., March 27 — Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld gazed across a rolling meadow on Monday, its grass yellow in late winter's grip, and toward the stand of hemlock trees marking the area where Flight 93 crashed on Sept. 11, 2001. He then bent and wordlessly placed a medallion at the base of a temporary memorial here.

Known as the defense secretary's "coin," the medallion is an elaborately pressed memento that Mr. Rumsfeld hands out to troops he meets in combat zones overseas.

...His gesture was intended to link that event, through the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, to the wars started by the Bush administration in Afghanistan and Iraq.

At a time when polls indicate waning public support for the mission in Iraq, Mr. Rumsfeld called Shanksville "the place where America really started to fight back."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/28/international/middleeast/28rumsfeld.html?ex=1301202000&en=4fc4a6453ed1535c&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

[unhappycamper]

1. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Too bad these assholes didn't start to fight back when Richard Clark tried to tell them trouble was brewing.

[Gman]

2. Sorry Rummy,

It still doesn't work. No one buys it anymore.

[cdb]

3. No, I'm not linking 911 to Iraq...

Nope, no linking of unrelated events here...

[MaineDem]

4. As someone who lost friends at that site...

...this gesture sickens me beyond belief!

I really detest this administration.

[superconnected]

5. the hypocrisy

As if rummy wasn't in on the intentional security failure.

[MadMaddie]

6. He gives soldiers the coin too....I guess they can add it to their

poorly constructed body armor:sarcasm: ....this guy is insane!!!

[anotherdrew]

7. criminals always return to the scene of the crime. n/t

[QuettaKid]

8. Here's a message for Rummy.

[anotherdrew]

10. good message, hope he get's it in his morning briefing

"oh and sir, there's also this - just in from the internet-watch boys, seems someone sent you a message..."

[Sapere aude]

9. linking 9/11 to the wars is a desperation move. Nothing else holds the

kool aide drinkers in line.