The World Newser

Wadda load of hooey!
We started that war in Iraq, not terrorists. The "insurgents" he so adamantly defines are just the very citizens of a nation we have nearly decimated. Calling Iraq the front on the war on terror is a total misrepresentation of America's goals in dominating mid-east oil. Our policies need to change if we are going to be in good relations with developing nations and those we have exploited for their resources over the past 100 years.

So Rummy runs in front of a bunch of cheering over-the-hill warhawks to spew pre-BushWar propaganda. Sorry Rummy, your can of beans has expired and the American public smells your plate of crud for what it is. Death by lies.

The reason why America's opponents see Iraq as the "epicentre" is that they know that America can't win.

America has never understood "asymetric" warfare.

And while America lose the rest of the world cheers.

America is losing because America deserves to lose.

Luis, thanks for the cut and paste from the Pentagon.

"..he will mount a spirited defense of the War in Iraq as a frontline in the War on Terror."

Spirited? How do you know? Do you have a time machine? Thanks for the reporting.

Well, Rumsfeld should listen to what he is saying, paraphrased "...this is like no other enemy the US has ever faced, no country to defend, no treaties..." Hmmmm, let's see... sounds to me like common criminals these terrorists. And what is the best way to fight criminals (listen Rummy, Bush, Cheney it is not to invade another country that had nothing to do with the attack of 9/11)THAT'S RIGHT - With good police work like our friends in GB did a couple weeks ago (and Bush & Co. took credit for) Now, before the October surprise to scare the nation republican again, bombing Iran will not capture Osama either. The question in most American's minds (mostly the one's who lost loved one's in Iraq)Why is Osama still breathing??????????????

This guy needs professional help, he is a lost cause.

We invaded a country that didn't threaten or attack us, overthrew their leader, destroyed their national infrastructure and now the rival factions are vying for power...simple as that.

The Iraq's are fighting against other Iraq's to control the destiny of that country. The vast majority of battles are not against al Qaeda, but against Iraq' Shia/Sunni's. Our brave military personnel are caught in the middle of this vacuum of power and we as a country, stand to gain nothing by remaining in this conflict.

We need to immediately redeploy our military in a responsible way to the perimeter and get them out of harms way. Let the Iraqi's sort out their own future.

Words as pathetic as the man speaking them.

The extent to which Secretary Rumsfeld is prepared to lie, obfuscate, propagandize, and attack truth tellers is infinite. This man is not a true American, in the American spirit of honesty, integrity, and indeed democracy.

As one of the least popular and least credible people in America, I'm sure that Donald Rumsfeld's rantings will not amount to much.

It's too late for Rumsfeld. He's betrayed our troops, and he's betrayed all Americans. He should have been fired 2 years ago.

Rumsfeld is part of the problem, not part of the solution.

Oh, we can stomach ANY tough fight that we're challenged to (Afghanistan), we just can't stomach a pointless fight that we got lied into. (Iraq).

We're weaker for it, we know it, and Rumsfeld is partly to blame.

Throw

da

bum

out.

Don,
Just remind me what are we doing in Iraq?

If we are fighting in Iraq as the frontline in the war on terror, when are we going to focus our efforts ond get the number one terrorist, osama bin Laden? The rhetoric from this administration continues to baffle me. Why is no one in the media asking why we are not focused on OBL? Get him, forget Iraq!

This ought to be good. The more Runseld says "stay the course" the louder the calls for his resignation will be. One wonders how much more of this can Bush handle. From what we hear, Bush has already put out feelers looking for a new Secretary of Defense.

What's the over/under on when they take Rummy off to the loony bin?

Islamic terrorists and fighters constantly lie? Oh, good golly and Henny Penny! Do me a favor, Rummy. While you're up there delivering your speil, make an example of these liars. In fact, make an example of ALL such liars. Get up there and say, "Anyone who lies to those they claim to be protecting is a traitor. Those who lie to you aren't on your side. They are betraying you for their own interests."

Why not? It'd certainly be true...for a change. And the quote may come in handy at your trial.

Nice camo jacket, Rummy; you sad, little poseur.

The senescent Secretary of Defense should be put out to pasture, not unleashed on the American populace.

Never before have deskbound civilians so dominated the armed forces and never before have so many mistakes been made and so much tragic waste occured in such a short span of time.

The American people don't need a "new perspective"; they need new leadership and they need it now.

What Rumsfeld should be facing is not a canned audience but but a war crimes trial.

Illegal wars of aggression, war crimes, gulags and military occupation has netted us zero terrorist leaders and zero convictions of operatives. What it has created is a dangerously debilitated US military.

Terrorism is on the increase and will continue to do so as long as people like Rumsfeld, Bush and Cheney deal unjustly with weak, resource rich nations.
Carol DW

Um...Americans didn't cross oceans, Europeans did.

He concludes: “The great story of America is instead one of grit, of determination and victory. And that story is still unfolding. Americans didn't cross oceans and settle a wilderness and build history's greatest democracy, only to run away from murderers and extremists who try to kill everyone they cannot convert and try to tear down what they could never build.”
-------------

The man is deranged. Crazy as a loon. Still peddling his propaganda and lies. "Wilderness"? America? There were 500 nations here when the Europeans arrived. Hardly a "wilderness". More lies. Historically inaccurate ones. Lies. The man is deranged and full of lies.

The USA can not control what happens in Iraq and still claim to be spreading "freedom".
The Sunnis, Shia , and Kurds will have their conflict, and it is not in the power of the USA to stop it.

The USA will eventually leave Iraq. The only question is how many more people have to die before we accept the fact that the fate of Iraq is beyond the control of the USA.

It's the epicenter because this administration turned it into an epicenter.

This administration created the "epicenter of terror". I see some right wing kool aid drinkers are here. Pick your knuckles up off the ground.

Is this guy okay? I mean mentally?

What is the disease called when you are completely cut off from reality?

And if he refuses to resign, what does it say about those around him who could fire him?

This country is great because of any citizen being able to dissent, especially in time of war, and even more during a war that is so morally rehensible. This is just another pathetic attempt by BushCo to push back against the rising tide of Iraq War critics, including Republican Representative Shay and the majority of citizens.

There is no "war on terror." Thanks to the current administration, this is the new way of life, period. There is no way to win this so-called "war" because there is no clear cut enemy. ALL people from Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, etc are not the enemy.

The only way to end this "war" is if the next president pulls the tropps out of the middle east and lets the people there tend to their own business while the US tries to take care of its own for a change.

Other countries may have different systems of goverments but that doesn't make them right or wrong, just different. The US has no right to say "you aren't like us so that's wrong" but the Repubs and rednecks here use that sort of discrimiation as justification for everything from homophobia to racial prejudice to "spreading democracy." All it's doing is spreading more hate.

Why is there a picture of an ICBM missile in a silo associated with this piece? This is totally irrelevant to the topic of the post and is misleading, at best. Is the author caught up in the climate of fear that the administration is promoting with the gleeful cooperation of mainstream media?

I'm sick of the Bush team's use of serving military personnel and veterans as a smokescreen of patriotism and devotion to duty behind which to hide their subterfuges and failures.

Shame on them!

"Americans didn't cross oceans and settle a wilderness and build history's greatest democracy, only to run away from murderers and extremists who try to kill everyone they cannot convert..."

No, instead, we launched a 300 year war to steal the land from its native people. We killed everyone we couldn't convert and forced the "converts" into "reservations". It's a story of grit, determination, and victory, alright, but not in that good way.

With such a whitewashed history like Rumsfeld's, no wonder the Bushes want to leave judgment to history instead of a court of law.

I am a 30 year disabled military retiree (Marine Corps-Korea, wounded 3 times while still a teenager, and US Army MACSOG in Viet Nam).So I know a little about war.
As a life member of DAV, VFW, Special Forces Assn. and a member of the Marine Corps League, I get sick every time the leaders of DAV and VFW invite these people like Rumsfeld and Cheney to tell their lies before men who know they are not telling the truth, and never get to ask any questions. Then they clap, shake hands and go on their way to eat, drink or whatever follows these useless gatherings. The average members of these organizations hate to see our so called leaders act so stupid.

Does anyone with any sense take this silly little man seriously?

Donald Rumsfeld should face a war crimes tribunal for being party to the lies and deceptions that led the U.S. into a war of aggression against a country that had not harmed us in any way, and presented no "immanent (sp?) threat" against us.

The saddest part isn't what this cretin says, it's the fact that ABC News provides an uncritical forum for his drivel. There's absolutely no context in this story to indicate to readers how wrong Rumsfield has been in the past, or how inaccurate his revisionist history actually is. Thanks for being a rubber stamp for the administration, Luis!

Indeed. The admin turned it into an epicenter. Hello Rummy! Anyone home???

Rummy,has finally fallen off the wacky wagon!!

Save Iraq??? Our military has already pushed this country back to the stone age!! The more Rummy lies the more Iraq and Americans die!!!

Who would Osama really vote for?

As the parent of a soldier, a young National Guard reservist that served a year in Iraq-I have a lot to say about how Rumsfeld has treated our military. My son is an excellent soldier and I am proud of his service record. He has a Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal at age 20. However, the way this administration misused our soldier’s patriotism is disturbing.

First of all this: "And I would -- without getting into the details, just simply say to the parents of the young people that are over there fighting for this country, that -- that they are, walking away, the best trained and the best equipped army on the face of the earth. They have what they need. They're well led. And this outcome is assured. “April 1, 2003-DOD news briefing by Rumsfeld and General Myers

Not even close to being true. Perhaps a cruel April fool upon military families.

My son was sent everything except bullets from our family for that war-a war we did not support because the justifications given did not appear to be lawful or truthful. I had to send him ratchets and screwdrivers-just so he could do his job of communications equipment.

As time proved, there were never WMD's and now Iraq has gone from already bad to even worse from a humanitarian standpoint.

We have parents sending their soldiers food and water-because theirs is rationed. We have Iraqi population with little clean water, few hours of electric and civil war. Now these things are happening, whether or not this administration or even and most shamefully, the top brass which answers to them.

I always thought our soldiers were the "knights in shining armor"- but this administration has badly misused them for ill-gotten gain and as a result inflamed the world opinion against all Americans.

This war is wrong, immoral and must stop before the draft is instituted. We are running out of soldiers and the Guard should always be here at home. Katrina proved that. 911 proved that. In May 2005, Ohio was left with 12% of our Guard in the state. We should never be that vulnerable.

Is a draft what it will take Americans to get off the couch and demand their country back?
If so, that means the 58,000 young Americans and millions of Vietnamese gave their lives for a nation, which learned nothing from the tragedy of that war.

why is it that the chickenhawks are always the most eager for war? well, we know the answer of course. if any of these idiots had actually seen a day of combat time, they might share the perspective of all of the americans rumsfeld claims lack one altogether.

then again, when everything you do is predicated on lies, we probably shouldn't expect that a little real life experience would have that great of an effect on these clowns anyway.

if only there were a way to put all of the administration chickenhawks in one unprotected humvee on a street in baghdad, we could see how much "stomach" they had for a "long fight."

What a dizzy misconstruction of reality by our STILL secretary of defense.

Start with "Americans didn't cross oceans and settle a wilderness and build history's greatest democracy, only to run away from murderers and extremists who try to kill everyone they cannot convert and try to tear down what they could never build.”

He's right of course ... these were not Americans at the time they crossed oceans to come to North America .. they were all sort of Europeans and Asians and Africans ... they became Americans later .... and oddly enough ---- when they came from there to what is now the US --- they WERE running away from the extremists who won't let you believe what you want, let you live as you want

sometimes i actually despise these guys running our country, because i don't believe they use the words sincerely, or else they are truly as shallow in thought as their words reveal ~ and in nothing of the lead comments attributed to Mr Rumsfeld in the article is there a shred of evidence that he knows how to proceed constructively in Iraq, other than not leaving.

As a veteran of 24 years, I'm offended that in his speech Rumsfeld sucks up to the VFW by heralding the "veterans who've sacrificed so much in 'freedom's defense.'" We've lost over 2600 brave men and women in this war of choice, not to "defend freedom" or "spread democracy," but to build empire. Every one between the ages of 18 and 42 who buys this administration's spin/crap should march right into the nearest recruiter's office and sign up to go to Iraq. Walk the walk, you phoney "patriots."

He (Rumsfeld) concludes: “The great story of America is instead one of grit, of determination and victory. And that story is still unfolding. Americans didn't cross oceans and settle a wilderness and build history's greatest democracy, only to run away from murderers and extremists who try to kill everyone they cannot convert and try to tear down what they could never build.”

I find it hard to believe he actually said this, though in Rummyspeak it makes perfect sense. Americans actually didn't "cross oceans and settle a wilderness and build history's greatest democracy". Europeans, Africans, Asians and, as pointed out earlier, indigenous civilizations had a hand.

And, it seems that those early immigrants (Americans via Rummy) had no problem killing everyone they could not "convert and try to tear down what they could never build.” Funny, in a Rumsfeldian world.

Not much balance among your readers ABC. Let's also try to remember that:

Rumsfeld oversaw a brilliant Afgan campaign and victory. 25 million Afgan Muslims trying out democracy for the first time. Women rescued from barbaric oppression. Kids going back to school. Good things like that.

Missed Osama but drove him into his northern Pakistan doomsday cave hideout for a ongoing 3-year+ campout. Hard to have effective attack planning and coordination via donkey mail.

Rumsfeld oversaw a brilliant Iraq battle campaign and victory over Saddam's army. Elimination of 1st of three 'Axis of Evil' governments. Capture and trial of one of the world's formost butchers and terrorist supporters. Death of his two even more evil sons (and heirs).

Rumsfeld was the first to tell the world that winning the peace in Iraq would be a "long, hard slog".

Rumsfeld has walked a no-win balance between too many troops (too expensive, too big a footprint, too many targets, military stretched too thin)and not enough troops (protect the art museums, seal the borders, sweep away the bad guys). When you get hammered from both sides you must be somewhere near the right place. Eh?

No weapons of mass distruction? Everybody wrong; but nobody lied. Rumsfeld didn't lie. Bush didn't lie. Cheney didn't lie. Clinton didn't lie. Gore didn't lie. Even Saddam thought he had the weapons!!! The lies were told by the Iraqi weapons experts to Saddam to satisfy him and keep him from executing them. CIA and intelligence teams from every other nation picked up the lies and passed them along.

Rumsfeld has allowed for flexibility and improving as we go. Fallujah failed the first time -- but we nailed it the second time. Recent Bagdad purge -- first try a flop, current effort more successful.

Rumsfeld has been criticized by unhappy ex-generals. Read some history. Eisenhower, Marshall, Patton and McArther all had peers who blasted them and second-guessed every major decision.

Three successful Iraqi elections, all predicted by critics to be premature, too dangerous, impossible to pull off.

An Iraqi Constitution written, voted on, and approved.

All we have is an Iraqi Civil War!!! Too early to tell, hopefully not, but building a democracy is tough work. Seems we ended up having to save our own Union once through a Civil War.

I'm just glad we have people like Rumsfeld -- experienced, intelligent, demanding, thorough and dedicated to help guide our military, our government, our president, our country and our allies in Iraq through this "long, hard slog".

One more comment about how Rumsfeld operates:
Rummy's modus operandi is to state the obvious. He leaves you with that. He has no capacity for dialog or interaction. it appears, and his thoughts seem to echo whatever comes out of his mouth. He conveniently forgets (old age? senior moments? deliberate lies?) what he may have said earlier, and denies statements he's made if they contradict what he's telling you now. My guess is he had some good ideas once, but that was long ago and in another galaxy.

Rumsfeld is probably the only living American who can make Robert S. McNamara look good. For the good of our country and for the good of the military he needs to be replaced, without delay.

I think Rummy needs to get a new perspective on Iraq. Like, maybe, from the streets of Baghdad, so he can get a better look at the mess he created.

Rummy, Cheney & Bush are going to lead the USA to a civil war if they do what I expect to them come October. These are desperate, dangerous men who's world is spinning out of control.

For someone who is best known for his incessant chorus of "Who knows?", Mr. Rumsfeld's new found focus is only the recitation of a masterfully crafted speech, that I'm sure he did not write.

I'm giving the VFW one last chance to figure out they're being played like a fiddle. they can't be that dense, can they?

If the so called terrorists are "An enemy that has no country to defend", what in hell are we doing in Iraq? I'm afraid the real terrorists are in Washington D.C.

I do hope that all of you know that spewing at the blog doesn't solve nearly as much as calling your state representatives and telling them to proceed with an impeachment of George Bush and the shut down of this horrific administration. These tasks must be the HIGHEST PRIORITY of each day from now until it actually happens for all of us. Do not brush your teeth or make your coffee until you have called them. Make it a part of YOUR routine. Oh yeah... and by the way... STOP PAYING YOUR TAXES until they are out!

The hallmark of a poor leader is inability to asses risk. If a leader says, or his people do, that they were surprized about ANY outcome, then they are poor leaders. Observe this guy from Hezbollah remarks (at least he has the personal honesty to make a negative assesment), conserning a miss assesment of Israel's response to the murder and capture of it's military personel. If he knew then what the outcome of his actions, he wouldn't have done it. He is a poor leader because he led his people into disaster.
Rumsfield had been unpleasently suprised at every turn in the results of every assesment he has made, in prosecuting this war. By this definition he is a poor leader just like Nazrallah of Hezbollah. They (Rumsfield and Nazrallah) may be admired by thier constituents but they have done thier jobs poorly and have caused many deaths among thier charges by miscalculation.

Rumsfeld-Cheney never tire of trying to portray the pathetic quagmire they've single-handedly created out of Iraq, as if it were a mission just like fighting Nazis in WWII. I would think that many veterans see through this sad attempt to cover an abomination in flags of past glory. It's now widely reported that many high-level officers now privately talk about Cheney in quite scathing terms. And this is coming from mostly conservative men who are required by law to be completely loyal to the SecDef in public. Is it any coincidence that some of the loudest blasts have come from those officers just retired from active duty (and suddenly free to speak their minds without legal jeopardy)?

BJS, are you really comparing Rumsfeld to Eisenhower, Marshall, Patton and MacArther?!
You've got to be kidding.

Hey, wait a minute...Rumsfeld, is that you?

8/22/06
President Bush explains the relationship between 9-11 and Sadaam to a reporter, Ken Herman of Cox News, who had interrupted Bush to ask what Iraq had to do with 9/11.

BUSH: The terrorists attacked us and killed 3,000 of our citizens before we started the freedom agenda in the Middle East.

QUESTION: What did Iraq have to do with it?

BUSH: What did Iraq have to do with what?

QUESTION: The attack on the World Trade Center.

BUSH: NOTHING. Except it’s part of — and nobody has suggested in this administration that Saddam Hussein ordered the attack. Iraq was a — Iraq — the lesson of September 11th is take threats before they fully materialize, Ken. Nobody’s ever suggested that the attacks of September the 11th were ordered by Iraq.

The 911 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia and trained - in Afghanistan? No. Florida.

I hardly think Iraq is the frontline in the war on terror. As Rumsfeld himself implies: there is no frontline.

I'm wondering how a family of old men and women with a couple of kids and a donkey would act as a shield against a rocket fired from an Apache helicopter. But I suppose Rummy knows, he's the expert.

I didn't see one comment supporting this dangerous, delusional man. That's the best news I've heard since they said Gore won Florida. Maybe we can change this thing.

Rumsfeld has missed who is being blamed, not America but the Bushites
With the lock step GOP and it misinformation machine fronted on the FOX Regurgitated Propaganda Network? Or "FRPN" OR FOX RegurProNet
He (Rumsfeld) argues the ongoing debate could give
"the enemy the false impression that Americans cannot stomach a tough Fight. We must work hard to keep a "Blame America First" mentality from
undermining our efforts in another long war against a determined enemy."
Rumsfeld and the Bushites have lost the Iraq war a few years ago.
The Proxy War the Bushites lost in Lebanon in the fight with Hezbollah was pushed up form Oct./Nov. because they thought it could take the heat off the Iraqi problem thinking it would be a cakewalk for the proxy army in Israel!!
Some Bushites were saying it would be another slam-dunk.
Some of the Bushites only watching FOX regurgitated propaganda news (Cheney for one) where a considerable campaign is waged to let us know about the school that will get a new coat of paint.
Now if we have to find out from Hezbollah that we are told that the Israeli attack is planed for Oct. Hezbollah was a little surprised when Israel jumped the gun on the WAR.
SO for Rumsfeld thinks that the Homeland Liberation Forces of Iraq don't have a better idea about who has won the War is a little myopic.

Donald Rumsfeld still has a job?

Weird...

In the past year doesn't it seem like Bush just isn't having any fun being the thinktank puppetboy anymore? Like he's tired of the game and wants to go home?

Rumsfeld (and Cheney) however have endless enthusiasm for this. They tend to preach even more to the converted when things get rough (so much for American grit). No accountability, they've kept themselves shielded from any disagreeable opinion from the start of this administration. He'll be out before any attack on Iran, just scares the hell out of me who'll take his place.

Elliot Donovan upthread says it brilliantly:

"We invaded a country that didn't threaten or attack us, overthrew their leader, destroyed their national infrastructure and now the rival factions are vying for power...simple as that."

Bush-Cheney-Rummy are getting more desperate by the day to bury this glaring truth from voters before the elections. Let's hope all the stupid, scared sheep who swallow their swill are too lazy to vote.

unbelievable,
has this fool been right about anything concerning the iraq war? someone please take the microphone away from him

The VFW should give Dumdsfeld the boot after the VA cuts the Bushies have given them.

So, the terrorists lie.. but when they say Iraq is the "epicenter" that's accepted as 100% truth..

Rummy cut n ran from Tora Bora leaving OSB a nice escape route - just like the only plane to fly out of America after the 9/11 attacks was the Bin Laden's private jet.

The Bin Laden & Bush families are very close and I'm amazed the American people could vote him in again knowing he is Osama's best friend. he let him carry out 9/11 and then let him escape.

BJS: "Cheney didn't lie."

No he didn't lie. When he didn't like what the intel community was really saying, he created his own "intel" office to interpret it the way *he* wanted it interpreted.

I see that, once again, the MSM is reporting uncritically the propaganda that emanates from the WH and the DOD.

Whatever happened to journalists in this country? They have all turned into cowed lickspittles shilling for a paranoid, dilusional, authoritarian, gang of thugs.

A note to Sander "about not much balance from your readers". It is a worn out line from the elite that liberal bias exist in the media. The reality is the majority of the people agree the costs of the war exceeded the benefits and that Iraq is NOT part of the war on terror.
The people that believe Rumsfield is successful are a dwindling minority or to use his words "dead enders". That is not a surprise, given the administration is trying to "balance" a pound of manure with an ounce of gold.

He (Rumsfeld) concludes: “The great story of America is instead one of grit, of determination and victory. And that story is still unfolding. Americans didn't cross oceans and settle a wilderness and build history's greatest democracy, only to run away from murderers and extremists who try to kill everyone they cannot convert and try to tear down what they could never build.”

I find it hard to believe he actually said this, though in Rummyspeak it makes perfect sense. Americans actually didn't "cross oceans and settle a wilderness and build history's greatest democracy". Europeans, Africans, Asians and, as pointed out earlier, indigenous civilizations had a hand.

And, it seems that those early immigrants (Americans via Rummy) had no problem killing everyone they could not "convert and try to tear down what they could never build.” Funny, in a Rumsfeldian world.

-----

Could not have said it better. I really hope there will be at least one Native American in that audience (although highly doubtful).

If Iraq is now the "front line" in the war on terror, the U.S. has made it that way. There were no foreign fighters in Iraq prior to the invasion, and in fact when Saddam was pulled out of his "spider hole", a communique was found to his generals, not to trust any foreign fighters. Rumsfeld is delusional at best. Iraq needs to be broken up into three countries, which it is now, and effectivly, has always been.The U.S. needs to withdraw and let the Iraqis figure it out or fight it out. This administration has succeded in one aspect tho; it has made Iran the dominate force in the region. I'd like to hear what Rumsfeld has to say about that!

And, democrats' wonder why they are viewed as weak on national defense. They do it to themselves. Democrats' were weak on defense before, are now, and will be in the future. Being cowards with no vision, but complaining, will not win them elections and get more of us killed! Democrats' are bound and determined to get more of us killed, sooner rather than later, with their blame America first mentality. Wake up. We are in Iraq now, so help get the job done!

“The extremists openly call Iraq the 'epicenter' in the War on Terror." Finally he speaks the truth.

Comments from "BJS":

"Rumsfeld oversaw a brilliant Afgan campaign and victory."

Yeah, except for the fact that he let Osama get away at Tora Bora.... Can't really call it a "victory" when the Taliban is back to terrorizing the people, opium is the #1 crop again (and Americans the #1 customer) and bin :aden is still at large. Great victory, there....

"Rumsfeld oversaw a brilliant Iraq battle campaign and victory over Saddam's army. "

You're right, if by brilliant you mean:

- allowing mass looting
- disbanding the Iraqi army, but letting them keep their weapons
- not securing massive weapon caches
- targeting journalists
- destroying Iraq's infrastructure

BRILLIANT!! Way to win the hearts and minds...

"No weapons of mass distruction? Everybody wrong; but nobody lied. Rumsfeld didn't lie. Bush didn't lie. Cheney didn't lie. Clinton didn't lie. Gore didn't lie. Even Saddam thought he had the weapons!!!"

That is so idiotic on so many levels I don't even know where to begin. The UN inspectors that were on the ground in Feb of 2003, including Scott Ritter, were telling us there were no WMD's. Bush forced them to leave and started his "Shock and Awe" campaign anyway.

Even Sadaam thought he had them??? Get help, son.

"Three successful Iraqi elections"

So do you define success by elections that put into power religious theocracies? Oh, you voted for Bush, so you must...

"An Iraqi Constitution written, voted on, and approved."

You mean the Iraqi Constitution that places Sharia law and Koran law above all other interests? Yeah, that was a great one...

"...building a democracy is tough work. Seems we ended up having to save our own Union once through a Civil War."

Yeah, and it seems our own Union is coming apart at the seams right now so we shouldnt be over there trying to save someone else's. Especially when that someone else had NOTHING to do with 9/11, had no WMD's, NEVER attacked us, and was not threatening to attack us.

How about using that Iraq money to rebuild New Orleans? Or to rebuild the quickly deteriorating U.S. infrastructure? Or to provide children with health care?

Freedom is not a "thing" to be presented to a people like a birthday present. It is a concept that must be understood in the context of that people's culture and national sense of ethics.

One man's monarchy is another man's paradise, while one man's overtaxed republic is another man's prison.

The heart and soul of the Middle East has remain pretty much unchanged for several thousand years. Only the oil dollars available in the last hundred years or less have made them appear Westernized as they purchase bluejeans and fighter planes.

The concepts of freedom and democracy must be embraced by the Middle East as individuals as well as nations. Elections and flag waving prove nothing. It requires a fundamental change of long held attitudes so that the people themselves believe that freedom and democracy are worth the price they will have to pay for them.

Unless these people will lay down their lives for Democracy more willingly than for Islam, their country will revert to business as usual before the dust of our departure can settle.

We as a people are diminished by the ill conceived policies of this administration.
We as a generation have been brutalized by the many politically motivated excursions since WWII.

This war had nothing to do with 9/11. It all has to do with Sadaam trying to assinate Presiden't Bush's father. He admitted as much. Napolean was defeated trying to fight the Russians in their own back yard. The Germans also tried and failed. The French tried in Vietnam and failed. Anmerica did not learn and also committed itself in Vietnam, only to fail and leave in disgrace. Now we have Americans in Iraq, dying 2-3 daily, sometimes every other day, over 2600 lives lost. For what purpose.Let's take care of our internal problems first. Health care, edication, social security, illegal immigration. We couldn't even handle Katrina for Christ sake. Even the Iraqis that welcomed us in the beginning, now have joined malitias to attack us. Have we not learned anything. Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. That is just what we are doing. America's credibality in the world is zero. You have China emerging as the next super power, exporting technology to countries like Iran, North Korea. Hence their reluctance to support America against Iran, same applies to Russia. When will we learn that we cannot be the world's policeman....

US Government can't defeat lightly armed fighters. The only option is to go after American civilians.

Holy Moley I'm Santa Clause...

“I can't tell you if the use of force in Iraq today will last five days, five weeks or five months, but it won't last any longer than that.”
Donald Rumsfeld 2003
"In those regions where pockets of dead-enders are trying to reconstitute, General Franks and his team are rooting them out."
June 18 2003

"The dead-enders are still with us, those remnants of the defeated regimes who'll go on fighting long after their cause is lost."
April 9 2004

June 18, 2003, Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Defense Secretary:
"I think these people are the last remnants of a dying cause."

April 9, 2004: Rumsfeld:

"You have a mixture of a small number of terrorists, a small number of militias, coupled with some demonstrations and some lawlessness."

September 20, 2004, Time Magazine:

"The deputy commander of coalition forces in Iraq, British Major General Andrew Graham, estimates there are 40,000 to 50,000 active insurgent fighters."

I'm Santa Clause and I'm tellin' it like it is. You Nay sayers go Willy Nilly over every little thing Good Golly Miss Molly

Cut and run will do nothing but endanger every one here and in the Middle East. It is a negative approach to a real problem and has no basis in any thoughtful discussion.

Things are not good in Iraq, but to imply that Islamofascists are not a part of the ongoing conflict in Baghdad is not reasonable. The remnants of Al Qaeda in Iraq continue to be a large part of the violence. Iran's extremists mullahs are actively sponsoring the Shiites in Baghdad and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The Patriot Act and the actions of the NSA are important weapons to fight an unconventional enemy. To claim that the discovery of the plot to blow up planes taking off from London had nothing to do with these tools is also unreasonable.

For years during the 90's we ignored and then responded very weakly to a Osama bin Laden's declaration of war; now that we've engaged the enemy, pissing and moaning about the errors inherent in any war will do nothing to solve the problem of a eliminating a small group dedicated to destroying everything we stand for and have accomplished.

"..he will mount a spirited defense of the War in Iraq as a frontline in the War on Terror."

Spirited? How do you know? Do you have a time machine? Thanks for the reporting.

It's called a DoD news release.
Happens all the time.
There are 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour and 24 hours in a day.

Anything else you want to know?

First, to the person who called your readers unbalanced, that person posted nothing but blanket statements, with nary a single conclusive shred of backup to their mouth. Nothing new. Nothing impactful. Sounds like a Spin Doc for Rummy's camp.

In related news. Rummy is an indignant idiot. His smarmy, self-assured presentation is wearing thin on many actual red-blooded Americans (that has 2 other meanings besides the obvious one).

People "dying for my freedom" included a list of people during the Revolutionary War, and World War Two. Baghdad has never been a threat to Texas,