Rumsfeld Cites Contractor in Planting of Reports in Iraqi Media

[sabra]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/05/politics/05cnd-rumsfeld.html?pagewanted=print

Rumsfeld Cites Contractor in Planting of Reports in Iraqi Media

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 - Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld laid blame today for the possible placement by the military of news articles in the Iraqi press on the contractor who ran the program.

...

"Some people in the military signed a contract with a private contractor, and the private contactor is alleged to have written accurate stories, but paid someone in the media in Iraq to carry the story," Mr. Rumsfeld said. "That's an allegation. I don't know if it's true yet."

He added that an important question is whether the contractor was implementing American policy properly.

But Pentagon officials admit that they do not yet have a complete understanding of the program, including whether the articles were accurate and who was responsible for omitting disclaimers that are required under Defense Department guidelines.

[VegasWolf]

1. Rummy acts like he knows nothing about what happens in Iraq. He should

be fired for gross incompetence. He can't even lie convincingly.

[GregW]

2. NEWS FLASH: Bush makes buck perpetual motion machine

:eyes:

[bowens43]

3. Rummy plays the blame game...what a hypocrite.

[Just Me]

4. Isn't he such a Mr. "Personal Responsibility",...NOT!!!

He and the neocons are the ones who arranged for the government-sponsored propaganda campaign. Assholes!!! :grr:

I am sick to death of these f*ckers getting away with so friggin' many egregious activities. It's DISGUSTING!!!

[Judi Lynn]

5. It's astonishing that so much nastiness happens on their watch

WITHOUT the direction of any of the principal Republicans' knowledge.

You would have thought they would try to get more capable people in the key positions.

Rumsfeld gibbered on:

Mr. Rumsfeld said the public should not judge progress in Iraq based on the death toll or press reports.

The slaughtered and damaged people are of no importance, according to this luminary.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Mr Rumsfeld are you tellign me that yuo hve no idea

what the Department of defense employees and contractors do in a war zone? Quick we need to get somebody in who does

[daleo]

7. A non-denial denial

Here's the key phrase:

"He added that an important question is whether the contractor was implementing American policy properly."

In other words he is not saying it didn't happen, or that it is in any way wrong or that it isn't exactly what they wanted to have happen. Just a bit of obfuscation, in the hope everyone forgets about this.

[rodeodance]

9. coy

[yellowcanine]

8. The buck stops over there on that ______________'s desk, (Fill in the

blank) according to the meme of the day.

[rodeodance]

10. nominate

[cliss]

11. Rummy thinks he's a smart dude.

He thinks that if he plays the "Don't Know" game, people will give cut him some slack, and let him "look into the matter".

Rummy thinks he's a master of deception, like a military Houdini, where he can pull a "fast one" on the entire American public, without them catching on.

Here's the REAL Truth on this sorry Clown. RumsFailed is an egotistical ignoramus who has an I.Q. of about 96, while the rest of the population has an I.Q. of 97. Rummy thinks he's smarter than everybody else.

The truth is, he's a fool.