Rice and Gates differ over the importance of contingency planning.

[mwb970]

Amid the taunting, serious discussion of the war continued. Testifying yesterday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates revealed that the Pentagon, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other agencies are devising a "sophisticated checklist or matrix" to measure the Iraqi government's performance in meeting various benchmarks linked to Bush's new strategy. Gates added that he is considering alternative courses of action in case the Baghdad security operation fails.

"I would be irresponsible if I weren't thinking about what the alternatives might be if that didn't happen," Gates testified. "But we, at this point, are planning for its success."

(from "Senate Leaders Continue Squabbling Over Iraq", Washington Post, February 7, 2007)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/06/AR2007020600553.html

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Many Bush critics and allies still doubt Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government is willing or able to challenge murderous militias, under a plan which will see 21,500 US troops surge into Baghdad and Al-Anbar province and three more Iraqi brigades in the capital.

Top administration officials are however adamant that contemplating an alternative would simply doom the current plan to failure.

"I don't think you go to plan B. You work with plan A," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday, explaining why the administration had no contingency plans lined up.

(from "No Plan B in Bush Iraq strategy", Yahoo News, January 14, 2007)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070114/wl_mideast_afp/usiraqbushplan

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So Condi thinks it is acceptable, and indeed vital, to go into a costly, dangerous mission without any thought whatsoever about what to do if the ambitious, improbable plan should fail. She claims that if you formulate a contingency plan, you doom the original plan to failure. This foolish statement alone should disqualify her from holding any government or leadership position.

But, knowing how the Bush regime works, she's about due for a medal!

[annabanana]

1. Condi NEVER has a "plan B". .

She thinks planning is for wimps and losers.

[tanyev]

2. Faith-based administrations don't need no stinkin' contingency plans!

You just got to believe harder.

[Echotrail]

3. Just think. Condi is our TOP diplomat.

Now with John "Iran-Contra" Negroponte at her side.