Rummy's Memo
The United States has no yardstick for measuring progress in the war on terrorism, has not "yet made truly bold moves" in fighting al-Qaeda and other terror groups, and is in for a "long, hard slog" in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a memo that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sent to top-ranking Defense officials last week.
Despite upbeat statements by the Bush administration, the memo to Rumsfeld's top staff reveals significant doubts about progress in the struggle against terrorists. Rumsfeld says that "it is not possible" to transform the Pentagon quickly enough to effectively fight the anti-terror war and that a "new institution" might be necessary to do that.
Get the rest of this article from USA Today.
Matt's Chat
When you actually read the MEMO, you get a better sense of the context of these questions that Sec. Rumsfeld is asking. While USA Today gave us a link in the online article, I doubt they reprinted the memo in their newspaper.The Secretary of Defense is asking his top guys to put their thinking hats on and make sure that there isn't something that they are doing or not doing that could be effecting the level of success we are experiencing. He is asking for ideas. I do this sort of questioning all the time with organizational leadership types; it is a matter of engaging other minds on problems.
It doesn't mean he thinks things are going badly. And it doesn't represent a shift in policy. It is merely an effort to make sure that we are doing all that we can do in the War Against Terrorism.
Mark's Remarks
It is another case of damned if you do, damned if you don't. If Rumsfeld did not seek out opinions, he would be delusional and selfish and unwilling to listen. If he does it, as he did here, then he is considered to be doubting our abilities in Iraq and around the world. Liberals want to have it both ways, and I am sorry to wake them up to a little something called REALITY, but you cannot.
Rumsfeld is doing what any good leader will do: quiz your troops and get feedback, get new ideas going, and see what you can do to make a good situation better.
