Comments on: Rumsfeld…Please Retire… http://donklephant.com/2006/04/13/rumsfeldplease-retire/ Big Teeth. Huge Ass. Surprisingly Reasonable. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:03:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Bob Weimann http://donklephant.com/2006/04/13/rumsfeldplease-retire/comment-page-1/#comment-13903 Bob Weimann Mon, 17 Apr 2006 18:03:03 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/04/13/rumsfeldplease-retire/#comment-13903 Folks! You ain’t getting it! People are asking why the generals are coming forward now to complain about Rumsfeld’s decision three years ago. The reason why is that historically insurgencies take 10 to 12 YEARS to resolve (win or lose). Folks, we are just starting our fourth year of that time line. We have 7 to 9 years to go! We are averaging 2.3 deaths per day! Multiple that daily death rate by 7 to 9 years! These generals are coming forward now because there has been a fundamental loss of confidence in Rumsfeld. The confidence loss is due to the fact that Rumsfeld would not approve the forces needed to occupy the county after the war. Those forces were needed to lock that county down after the invasion in order to PREVENT an insurgency. What is amazing to me is that everyone is now saying we got it right in Iraq when it should have been right three years ago. What other mistakes is Rumsfeld going to make in the next three years? Bob Weimann LtCol USMC Ret. Folks! You ain’t getting it!
People are asking why the generals are coming forward now to complain about Rumsfeld’s decision three years ago. The reason why is that historically insurgencies take 10 to 12 YEARS to resolve (win or lose). Folks, we are just starting our fourth year of that time line. We have 7 to 9 years to go! We are averaging 2.3 deaths per day! Multiple that daily death rate by 7 to 9 years! These generals are coming forward now because there has been a fundamental loss of confidence in Rumsfeld. The confidence loss is due to the fact that Rumsfeld would not approve the forces needed to occupy the county after the war. Those forces were needed to lock that county down after the invasion in order to PREVENT an insurgency. What is amazing to me is that everyone is now saying we got it right in Iraq when it should have been right three years ago. What other mistakes is Rumsfeld going to make in the next three years?
Bob Weimann
LtCol USMC Ret.

]]> By: reader_iam http://donklephant.com/2006/04/13/rumsfeldplease-retire/comment-page-1/#comment-13009 reader_iam Fri, 14 Apr 2006 16:49:41 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/04/13/rumsfeldplease-retire/#comment-13009 I think the president's loyalty to Rumsfeld has exacted a high cost; he should have been replaced some time ago, in my view. However, given the <i>type and philosophy</i> of civilian leadership that the Bush White House seems to prefer, I'm a little skeptical as to how much of improvement his successor would be. With regard to the military, I just this week skimmed through the recently released Quadrenniel Defense Review (QDR2005) in connection with some foreign policy articles I was editing. Jimmy and others, you might find it interesting to see the plans afoot for shaping the military to handle situations other than the traditional "clean" wars, such as those you reference. I've had some problems putting links in the comments section here before, but you can download the QDR (94 pages plus appendices! Ouch!) as a pdf from the DoD's website. In case you need some light reading ... lol. I think the president’s loyalty to Rumsfeld has exacted a high cost; he should have been replaced some time ago, in my view. However, given the type and philosophy of civilian leadership that the Bush White House seems to prefer, I’m a little skeptical as to how much of improvement his successor would be.

With regard to the military, I just this week skimmed through the recently released Quadrenniel Defense Review (QDR2005) in connection with some foreign policy articles I was editing. Jimmy and others, you might find it interesting to see the plans afoot for shaping the military to handle situations other than the traditional “clean” wars, such as those you reference. I’ve had some problems putting links in the comments section here before, but you can download the QDR (94 pages plus appendices! Ouch!) as a pdf from the DoD’s website.

In case you need some light reading … lol.

]]> By: Jimmy the Dhimmi http://donklephant.com/2006/04/13/rumsfeldplease-retire/comment-page-1/#comment-12983 Jimmy the Dhimmi Fri, 14 Apr 2006 15:55:51 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/04/13/rumsfeldplease-retire/#comment-12983 Retired Gen. Newbold wrote in Time Magazine: <blockquote>"I now regret that I did not more openly challenge those who were determined to invade a country whose actions were peripheral to the real threat - al Qaida," </blockquote> Sounds like the opposition to Rumsfeld is mainly political, rather than based on strategic and tactical operations on the ground. It is not up to the top military brass to decide what is a threat and what is not. The Army, I believe, does not want to try its hand at nation-building...it prefers WWII and Desert Storm, clean, popular victories. Rumsfeld is forcing the miliarty to do things it is uncomfortable with. If the SecDef is to put into action the President's vision of Mid-East geopolitical change, he has no other choice but to use the Army to fight a messy urban insurgency. Retired Gen. Newbold wrote in Time Magazine:

“I now regret that I did not more openly challenge those who were determined to invade a country whose actions were peripheral to the real threat – al Qaida,”

Sounds like the opposition to Rumsfeld is mainly political, rather than based on strategic and tactical operations on the ground. It is not up to the top military brass to decide what is a threat and what is not.

The Army, I believe, does not want to try its hand at nation-building…it prefers WWII and Desert Storm, clean, popular victories. Rumsfeld is forcing the miliarty to do things it is uncomfortable with. If the SecDef is to put into action the President’s vision of Mid-East geopolitical change, he has no other choice but to use the Army to fight a messy urban insurgency.

]]> By: BrianOfAtlanta http://donklephant.com/2006/04/13/rumsfeldplease-retire/comment-page-1/#comment-12930 BrianOfAtlanta Fri, 14 Apr 2006 14:27:11 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/04/13/rumsfeldplease-retire/#comment-12930 The president gives high marks to anyone who is completely loyal to him. It's a well documented weakness of his. Why should Rumsfeld be any different? The president gives high marks to anyone who is completely loyal to him. It’s a well documented weakness of his. Why should Rumsfeld be any different?

]]> By: Justin Gardner http://donklephant.com/2006/04/13/rumsfeldplease-retire/comment-page-1/#comment-12745 Justin Gardner Thu, 13 Apr 2006 21:21:33 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/04/13/rumsfeldplease-retire/#comment-12745 Of course, the buck stops there...but Bush isn't going away. Rumsfeld can. And trust me, it's extremely frustrating to think that Rumsfeld still gets high marks from the President, and he translates that to thinking he's actually doing a good job. But what can one do except keep beating the "Retire Rumsfeld" drum. Eventually he might get it. Of course, the buck stops there…but Bush isn’t going away. Rumsfeld can.

And trust me, it’s extremely frustrating to think that Rumsfeld still gets high marks from the President, and he translates that to thinking he’s actually doing a good job. But what can one do except keep beating the “Retire Rumsfeld” drum. Eventually he might get it.

]]> By: john http://donklephant.com/2006/04/13/rumsfeldplease-retire/comment-page-1/#comment-12700 john Thu, 13 Apr 2006 17:21:31 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/04/13/rumsfeldplease-retire/#comment-12700 should Rumsfield retire? Isn't on the President to decide that things are going poorly, and remove Rumsfield? I don't care if you're my dad, if a fraction of the problems would come up during my job compared to what has happened in this war, I'd Can my Dad. Don't dump all this on Rummy. Look to the guy that thinks he's doing a Heck of a Job. Whatever happen to the Buck stopping at the Top. should Rumsfield retire? Isn’t on the President to decide that things are going poorly, and remove Rumsfield? I don’t care if you’re my dad, if a fraction of the problems would come up during my job compared to what has happened in this war, I’d Can my Dad. Don’t dump all this on Rummy. Look to the guy that thinks he’s doing a Heck of a Job. Whatever happen to the Buck stopping at the Top.

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