Rumsfeld 'not told' of postwar shake-up (FT)

[WyLoochka]

http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.co...

Donald Rumsfeld, US defence secretary, said on Tuesday he had not been told by President George W. Bush or the National Security Council that the White House was to restructure the handling of postwar Iraq before the media were briefed on the plan by NSC officials.

<snip>

He said he did not know why Ms Rice, Mr Bush's national security adviser, had felt it necessary to send a memorandum about the new organisation to cabinet officials or brief the New York Times about the move.

<snip>

Mr Rumsfeld declined to comment on the perception that the move was an attempt by the White House to strip control of the rebuilding from the tight grip of the Pentagon.

<snip>

But people close to the Pentagon said on Tuesday that Mr Rumsfeld's account appeared to be at odds with that of Ms Rice.

Good news - the bushistas are moving against each other internally.

In this piece it's Condi vs Rummy. Condi appears to have the ear of the pretzeldunce at this point, but she's such a priggity nervous nellie shrill liar, it won't turn out any better for them than Rummy!

They are going down and the internal fighting and finger pointing is going to contribute to the down fall.

[oldcoot]

1. I wonder if Bush is mad at Rummy!

Perhaps he was not making the boy king look good.

[snippy]

21. Whistle Ass mad at Weasel Ass? Would that be allowed?

I think Turd Blossom Rove did this so that Whistle Ass can blame Weasel Ass for the Iraq "difficulties."

[drfemoe]

2. Rumsfeld Wants Iraq Shakeup Memo Published-FT

http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politics...

.. same story . different headline

[frank frankly]

3. Rummy you stupid evil thing--did they forget to CC you on this?

How "unfortunate"!

[yella_dawg]

4. Not "Unfortunate"

"Unhelpful"

[acmavm]

5. Okay, one of these guys if telling a whopper. And for no good purpose.

Rumsfeld says he didn't know, she says he was part of the panel who came up with this latest "master plan". For Pete's sake, don't these people ever wonder if they're living in parallel worlds. And it is just plain stupid in this case, there is no reason for anyone to lie. Either Rumsfeld is being left out in the cold, or he doesn't want anyone to think he's still pulling the strings here. And as for Rice, either she, oh hell, who knows with Rice. I think she's demented and lies just to hear herself talk.

[NNN0LHI]

6. This sounds like classic misinformation

If Rumsfeld were to be left out of the loop on this stuff his pride would have never allowed for him to admit it. More smoke and mirrors.

Don

[WyLoochka]

9. "misinformation"

?

He's quoted here, Don

"Donald Rumsfeld, US defence secretary, said on Tuesday he had not been told by President George W. Bush or the National Security Council that the White House was to restructure the handling of postwar Iraq before the media were briefed on the plan by NSC officials."

If it's "misinformation" how does he explain his blurting, with reporters present, that "he had not been told?"

[2cents]

7. I think Rummy knew...

...he's just feeling a little emasculated right now.

[wabeewoman]

8. Its just a political move to make it look

like the WH is taking action and 'doing something' about Iraq. I believe rummy on this one:

"In an interview with the Financial Times and three European news organisations, Mr Rumsfeld insisted that the new NSC role appeared to be no different from the policy-co-ordinating structure that had existed for more than a year."

Likely tied to this: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

on edit: added link

[coldwatercyn]

11. Rummy

Rummy is so arrogant, it couldn’t happen to a better person. The Bushies seem to think Iraq, WMD and the economy and the jobless rate are going to improve and the American people will be willing to vote for him again. They better think again. Putting Condi in charge will only make it one step closer to the President to blame. This is a miscalculation on their part.

[short bus president]

19. spot on, coldwatercyn

and welcome to DU!

[Unknown Known]

10. Send out the Black Woman!

That's the ticket. CondiLiar will make things appear just right

[cliss]

12. I agree. It appears that Rummie

is out of the loop here. He has been excluded from the plans. He wants to bitch about it, to the first convenient pair of ears. I've seen him whine, so it's definitely a trait he has.

As far as the in-fighting: this is yet another sign that these people are not working together at all. They are more like sole proprietors, each with their own agenda and fiefdoms. They have their own staffs, after all. They backstab and set each other up. They all lie. If it wasn't so serious, it would be hilarious, like a bunch of Keystones.

Mesquite, I agree. This infighting will lead to their downfall. I will be celebrating with champagne the day it happens.

[goforit]

13. OMG!!!!..............No wonder Rummy has been hiding out...OUCH!!!

This has been most certainly predictable!!!!

Stay tuned.

[Rose Siding]

14. Well that's pretty sweet

It's a good night for news like that.

You're out of the loop, psychofeld. Can't you understand English?

[revcarol]

15. It's no shakeup.

Just streamlining the beauraucracy:READ: the pork money hasn't been getting to the contractors fast enough, so Condi is there to make sure it does.

[Devils Advocate NZ]

16. They're just setting up the back-story...

Remember not so long ago how the Bush admin was saying "We have not yet decided" when asked whether or not they were going to invade Iraq, yet all the while they were making plans to do that very thing?

Well, how could Rumsfeld plan the next big invasion, say Syria, while he was tied up micromanaging the last? What to do, what to do?

Firstly, Rumsfeld is "reorganised" away from Iraq, then (to cover up the fact that they did it becuase they need him to plan the next war) they put this little plan into action.

"I wasn't told!" Squeals Rumsfeld. "I had no idea!"

Later, when the press start asking the Bush admin whether or not they are goning to invade Syria they can say "We have not decided." while Rumsfeld is busy putting the plans in motion.

You see, as far as the press is concerned ALL of this (Sept 11, Iraq invasion, Syria invasion) is just a natural reaction to changing events. You'll never hear about PNAC from them. You'll never hear about how Sept 11 (a new Pearl Harbour), the Iraq war and the Syrian war ("sweep them all up") were planned years in advance of Bush even stealing the election.

And why would that be? Because these plans and the fact they are being carried out suggest that Bush had a damned good reason to STEAL the 2000 election. After all, they wouldn't want Gore getting in the way of these long standing plans, would they?

They also suggest a damned good reason for the hunting of Clinton. After all, Clinton WAS getting in the way.

And what does ALL of that prove? That the United States has been the subject of a VAST RIGHT WING CONSPIRACY to overthrow the democratically elected government, install a puppet dictator, and then commit crimes against humanity on a scale not seen since WWII.

The US is not NEARING Fascism, it has been a Fascist state since 2000. And things will only get worse. Take for example California.

[JNelson6563]

17. ah factions!

Nothing like factions to bring about the fall of any regime. How delightful!

Julie

[Snellius]

18. He wasn't at the cabinet meeting yesterday

Wolfowitz was sitting in Rummy's chair, on the president's immediate left.

[JNelson6563]

20. I saw that!

I remember saying "Wolfie?? What's he doing there?"

haha Good to see them scrambling and forming factions.

Julie

[On the Road]

24. It's the Old Soviet May Day Analysis!

Who's that new guy standing next to Brezhnev? Where are Andropov and Chernenko? Is there a shakeup in progress?

LOL. You have to guess and read the tea leaves with this administration.

[Nottingham]

22. Iraq is Not going Well!

[Gigi]

23. Iraq

No, the war is not going well. The Army is overloaded. Don't be surprised to see the Marines sent in again! This IS NOT a slam against the Army. There are simply not enough men on the ground,
no other country is willing to send troops (can you blame them?) and
the attacks are increasing. We are losing 6-7 soldiers a week and
another few dozen are being wounded. The Marines will be sent in
to "clean it up". I hate to see it happen.

[rocktivity]

25. Hey! Maybe Rummy is the CIA leaker!!!

Even if he isn't, they need a fall guy for it. On the other hand, wouldn't losing Rumsfeld be tantamount to admitting that the war on terrorism is FUBAR?


rocknation

WHERE’S OUR NINE BILLION DOLLARS, ARNOLD?

[hippiechick]

26. Privatization of rebuilding ??

"the move was an attempt by the White House to strip control of the rebuilding from the tight grip of the Pentagon..."


That means out of the 'public' sector and even further into the hands of the oil companies and Halliburton ...