Rumsfeld Calls Peril in Iraq, Along With Progress, a 'Contradiction'

[dw]

By THOM SHANKER, The New York Times, Published: December 2, 2003

...snip...

"What you have is a contradiction," Mr. Rumsfeld said at an afternoon news conference when asked his assessment of the current security situation in Iraq.

"There is no question but that there are periodic incidents where people are being killed and wounded — we know that.

"We also know that the schools are open, that the hospitals are open, the clinics are open; that people are engaged in economic activity throughout the country; and that the vast majority of the country is not in conflict."

He said attacks are mounted by "a limited number of people who are determined to kill innocent men, women and children." Those foes, he said, are "being rounded up, captured, killed, wounded and interrogated."

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"Rounded up, captured, killed, wounded and interrogated"... in that order. dw

[freethought23]

1. This is a contradiction in the Marxian sense

I.e., "The situation in Iraq is and is not improving." Marx would say that this contradiction will produce a crisis, and then a change.

[Ilsa]

2. "...we know that..."

But we also know that there are unknowns that we know we don't know...blah blah blah.

Someone change his title to Secretary of Doublespeak.

The real contradiction (and injustice) is that such an incompetent asshole can still have a job in 'Murica when so many decent people who know their jobs are being laid off.

(Edited for temporary loss of insanity resulting in crappy grammar.)

[freethought23]

3. Now, now....

If Rumsfeld weren't doing this, he would be back at Searle pushing Aspartame. :)

[54anickel]

4. What is Rummy saying in this nonsense at the end?

He also responded with cautious, even subdued, comments when asked repeatedly about the European defense proposal and was joined by Lord Robertson, the NATO secretary general, in saying that the European Union has not given NATO a final decision.

Diplomats here said the latest European proposal calls for a military planning team to join NATO's headquarters in southern Belgium and for an increase in its own strategic planning staff, a retreat from some broader proposals that some feared might be viewed as rivaling NATO.

Mr. Rumsfeld stressed NATO's primacy in European security tasks but said he was open to proposals that did not duplicate or compete with alliance efforts.

[aneerkoinos]

9. trying to tone down

The fact that EU is becoming one important step militarily more independent from US (and NATO), against US will, and US can do nothing about it, even their Tony implant can't stop it and has to go along.

So he tries to shut up, not to loose face any more.

[caledesi]

5. Shut up Rummy! Schools, hospitals and clinics are open

and people are shopping their heads off, but no one is leaving their houses because they are afraid. Get it?

* said Iraq is "a dangerous place," meanwhile it's just hustling and bustling....Now isn't this a contradiction?

[pinto]

6. Rumsfeld, deep thoughts

"What you have is a contradiction"

What you have is a failure to communicate.

"Incidents where people are being killed"

Americans.

"We also know that schools are open"

And 28,000 teachers fired by Bremer.

"...the hospitals are open, the clinics are open"

And labeled as "disinformation" agents in the recent fighting in Samarra.

"vast majority is not in conflict"

89% of Iraqis don't trust US occupation forces.

...attacks mounted by "people...who are intent on killing innocent men, women and children."

Americans.

"rounded up, captured, killed, wounded and interrogated"

Post mortem.

[Steven_S]

7. This is one of his Unknown Unknowns...

That is to say;

He don't know what he don't know.

What a simp.

[Thor_MN]

8. Are these the same "limited number of people"

who forced the most powerful man on the planet to sneak in the back door, never leave the airport, and run away before anyone could find out that he was there? The "deadenders"?

I saw a picture on the front page of the MPLs Star Tribune from last Friday that had the big blue jacket (covering up his Kevlar) brilliantly lit by flash on the right hand side of the picture. The soldiers on the left hand side are practically in shadow. If I hadn't seen video, I would have said the pic was a PhotoShop job.

[bvar22]

10. Bullshit!! Crazy, psychotic BULLSHIT!!!

especailly:

"He said attacks are mounted by "a limited number of people who are determined to kill innocent men, women and children." {bold mine}

Limited number???

Last I heard, there were 3 Billion Muslims...I guess that is a limited number.
The more Iraqis rummy and bush* kill, the more resistance fighter they create.


ANOTHER RUMMY BIG LIE:
..."determined to kill innocent men, women and children."

Most of the attacks are conducted by Muslims determined to remove the christian invaders from their homeland!


Hey, Youn think if I E-Mail this to Psycho-rummy that he will now know something that was previously an unknown unknown that he was unaware of being unknown, but now should become a known known?

[jokerman93]

11. What a nauseating sophist this guy is

Thinks he's smarter than the average bear. I'll bet he's secretly amusing himself when he talks like this.

He presents us with lies and obfuscations that fly in the face of the obvious truth, and then he resolves it for us the way he expects us to in our own minds -- like a simpleton:

Monkeys are flying out of my ass and the sky is green, but it's a contradiction that's all!

Phew! I love hating that guy!

:evilgrin:

[hadrons]

12. yup ...

"We also know that the schools are open (but almost no one is attending because its so dangerous), that the hospitals are open (and how many Iraqis are there because of you), the clinics are open (see last comment); that people are engaged in economic activity throughout the country (sells arms to resistence fighters); and that the vast majority of the country is not in conflict. (the vast majority of the country is desert, Dumsfeld)"

[DoYouEverWonder]

13. This is true of any war zone

"We also know that the schools are open, that the hospitals are open, the clinics are open; that people are engaged in economic activity throughout the country"

So, this is supposed to be a big achievement? Even in the middle of a war zone people will try to live as normal a life as possible. It is the only way to cope and to survive. Besides, I bet the hospitals and clinics are doing a booming business with all the casualties that are coming in but that still doesn't mean that they can adequately treat people or that the have enough equipment and supplies to meet the damand.

Oh yeah, and we know people are engaged in economic activity throughout the country. Even in a war zone you still need to go out to buy food. Besides, most of those people engaged in economic activity aren't Iraqis they are employees of Halliburton, Bechtel and Brown & Root.