Now that the war is not going according to plan,
Rumsfeld wants to pretend he had little to do with it.
ChickenHawks never change their feathers.
nytimes.com
Rumsfeld: "It's been described as an excellent plan. I'd be delighted to take credit for it, but it wouldn't be fair, because it's a product that is essentially General Franks's, but it certainly is the result of a lot of thought from a lot of very fine military planners."
Mr. Rumsfeld's comments, however, diminished what top military officers and even members of his inner circle described as the defense secretary's central role in shaping the war plan, rejecting the initial plan and pressing for a campaign that would be quicker, using fewer forces.
Rumsfeld has insisted all along that the war be fought on his timetable using his stupid assumptions.
washingtonpost.com
"There is a nearly universal feeling among the officer corps that the inner circle is closed, not tolerant of ideas it doesn't already share, and determined to impose its ideas, regardless of military doubts," said Loren B. Thompson, a defense analyst at the Lexington Institute who has close ties to defense contractors and the military.
"All of the bad blood of last year is coming back in a very big way," said one former Pentagon official.
usatoday.com
At the core of their dispute: Rumsfeld's push to transform the military into a more mobile force that emphasizes high-tech weaponry over traditional foot soldiers. The Army, with 480,000 active soldiers, fears a diminished role.
"The Bush team at the Pentagon seems to be looking for excuses to cut land forces," a military expert close to Rumsfeld says.
Rumsfeld lies to protect himself, not others.
TP |
