Famous war reporter pounds on Rumsfeld!!!

[NVMojo]

Greg Mitchell, E&P's editor, wrote a Nov. 3, 2005, "Pressing Issues" column about Galloway's luncheon with Donald Rumsfeld. This section starts about midway down after an introductory story. It follows:

***
It started Tuesday with ordering a tuna fish sandwich and ended more than an hour later with the guest/reporter telling the Secretary of Defense, “I'm going to keep kicking your butt.” And in between? Let Joe Galloway tell you.

For at least two years, Knight Ridder military editor and columnist Joe Galloway has been one of the most persistent and harshest critics of Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld's handling of the Iraq war, and other military issues, from an informed position. Galloway is one of the celebrated war correspondents of our time, winner of a Bronze Star for valor during the Vietnam conflict, and co-author of the book “We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young.”

About six weeks ago, perhaps recognizing Galloway's credibility and the growing chorus of criticism from others, Rumsfeld's office invited the correspondent to what it called “a private lunch” at the Pentagon. No one told Galloway why, but he didn't have to guess. “I knew they weren't planning to give me some kind of ribbon,” Galloway told me today.

Asked if he spiffed up for the meeting, Galloway acknowledged that he did “put on a tie,” then took the metro to the Pentagon from his apartment on the Potomac in nearby Arlington, Va.

Well, as it turned out, the lunch wasn't quite private, as the two men were joined by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, two other brass, and a Pentagon spokesman. “Five to one, they had me surrounded,” Galloway said. “I've been doing this for 47 years and it was the first time I had a command performance with an audience like that.”

How did it go? “I had a fun time,” Galloway revealed. “I don't know about the rest of them.”

more...

http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002198068

[BikeWriter]

1. Right on!

[blm]

2. Great piece. Can you imagine if there had been NO KnightRidder team

reporting on BushInc the past 6yrs.

I shudder.

[slor]

3. Thanks for posting n/t

[pinto]

4. His analyses for K-R have been great, informed and on point.

Sorry to see him going (June 1), but it sounds like a great "retirement" he's chosen.

[NVMojo]

5. it's a job I could not have faced ...seeing the pain and destruction

up front. The man deserves a rest ...and needs to get those books written!