Rumsfeld Says Army in Iraq Not Worn Out

[Khephra]

snip.......

Rumsfeld, however, said the Army's rating system for combat readiness may be outdated and inappropriate during a period in which the nation is at war.

In an interview aboard his plane while flying from Iraq to a refueling stop in Ireland on Sunday, Rumsfeld said he intended to discuss the matter soon with Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker.

"If you are going to use metrics that are fashioned for peacetime and you think that they should apply in a circumstance such as we're in -- which is not peacetime -- then I think it at least raises a caution flag," Rumsfeld said.

"Our force today is as trained, equipped, experienced, combat hardened" as in any recent time, Rumsfeld said. Even though their vehicles and aircraft need refurbishing or replacement and the troops need rest and fresh training, that does not mean they are not ready for further combat, he added.

more..............

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-army-readiness,0,4049993.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines

[Neutrino]

1. Rumsfeld (uber Geezer) is worn out--and deserves

the "Foot in Mouth" Award he earned this week with his convoluted
two-paragraphs of non-sequiturs and utter jibberish, that has
become the norm for him. He's disgusting.

[Dimsdale]

5. You're right, he deserved it...

Check out this from today's Inquirer. Not bad..

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/special_packages/sunday_review/7430666.htm

snip

Now, some impatient people say this administration not only doesn'tknow how to run this war but also doesn't even know that it doesn't know. It would be better, say they, if the administration sometimes just admitted perplexity, complexity, error or doubt. But Rumsfeld does not do that. He does not know that he has ever needed to do that.


Knowing what you know and what you don't know is very important in both war and politics. In war, what you don't know you don't know can kill you. And in politics, knowing what you know you know and what you know you don't know, and admitting that you don't know what you don't know are all very important.


In politics, pretending you know when you don't know, or saying you know what you don't know when you don't know what you don't know, is no good. Detractors might say it was unintelligent of you to rely on intelligence (say, Saddam/uranium/Nigeria) from your intelligencers, and that you really don't know eitherwhat you know or what you don't know.

[Jacobin]

7. Zing!!

glancing blow off the shiney head of Rumfilled.

Is he dazed? No. He's only slightly er demented

[cthrumatrix]

2. if he thinks he's wearing down our "desire" to see him in handcuffs...

guess again...

the day will come when he will be held accountable for his role in this fiasco

[belab13]

12. I certainly hope your right. this guy is evil incarnate.

[madrchsod]

3. delusional

seems to be a good word to describe his ideas.

[PaDUer]

11. He should be placed

in a nursing home..alzheimers!

[PurityOfEssence]

4. We will now be re-euphemizing "fagigued" as "a bit tuckered out"

"Depleted" will now be "wan", "disrupted" will now be "refitting", "totally fucking killed and dead in the sand" will be "inactive" and "demoralized" will be "introspective".

Make a note of it.

Dismissed.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

6. Then that means it was outdated when they used it against

Clinton/Gore...right Rummy?

[cliss]

8. No, Rumsfilled is definitely not tired.

He's ready for more.

Now, if you analyze that statement, "If you are going to use metrics that are fashioned for peacetime and you think they should apply in a circumstance such as we're in..."

So he's saying here that the way they measure troops during peacetime (which would be basic training, doing push ups, jogging up and down the platoon base) and now they're applying it to the soldiers who are in Iraq.

What he's really saying here is that they are not measuring the troops readiness for more warfare. This is a very subtle form of double-speak which says, "we're not sure if they're tired because we don't have any way of measuring that".

I've listened to this old coot long enough that I can read between the lines!!! I've finally figured out the old fucker.

All you have to do is read carefully what he says, and he'll tell you the whole story. Old fool.

[maxanne]

9. Rumsfeld is a lying bag of dirt

My best friend's sister is in the Guard. Her unit has been called up to go to Iraq. First they were told they'd be going to training in the US for 6 months - then 18 months in Iraq. She's leaving next week. Apparently it's going to be about 2 months of stateside training, and off to Iraq in February.

Rumsfeld is the one who is ready for them to engage in more combat. He's happy to sit on his chickenhawk ass while young people die in the name of right wing greed.

[thebigidea]

10. ah, what a lovely man

ps to kef - I liked ARE WE NOT MEN? more. D-E-V-O.

[tabasco]

13. The Army is tired. Tired of your bullshit, Rummy.

Rummy is willing to fight ......to the last drop of YOUR blood !