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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated
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To: LindyBill who wrote (14171)10/28/2003 11:28:46 PM
From: JF Quinnelly  Read Replies (1) of 793693
 
With the cult of personality that has coalesced around Rumsfeld it is surprising to learn that this adoration is not at all shared... by the uniformed military. They consider him an arrogant amateur in the mold of Robert MacNamara, one of the most despised Sec Defs in memory.

The war between Rumsfeld and the professional military started long before the Second Iraq War and it has only gotten worse. Rumsfeld wants to make the Army "fast and light". The Army thinks he's nuts. Firepower matters, and overwhelming firepower is the best way to win battles and protect your troops. Enough firepower can even discourage the enemy from fighting.

In Iraq, Rumsfeld insisted the Army move out before its equipment was fully offloaded. Units at the front were looking for equipment that was still on shipboard. Combat units were being supplied like a modern factory, "just in time". This wasn't planned. Supply lines were very long and highly vulnerable. Iraq wasn't smart enough to exploit this. Future opponents will.

General Shinseki, the retiring Army Chief of Staff, gave Rumsfeld the verbal finger as he left office. And he's not alone. Rumsfeld had to go outside the active Army to find a replacement for Shinseki, a sign that he couldn't find anyone interested who was already serving. There's a message there, somewhere.
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