Flacking for the Pentagon:
Do Your Own Research

Feel like channeling the New York Times’s David Barstow, who wrote last month’s incisive expose of the Pentagon’s coordinated PR campaign to use retired military analysts?

Go to the Defense Department’s list of documents that were finally released to the Times after months of litigation and discussions.

For example, here’s an “interview” with former Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld shortly after the announcement of his resignation…

Among Rummy’s suggestions to the analysts and other lowlights of the off-the-record briefing:

- Asked about ways to convince people of a plan to end state sponsorship of terrorism, Rumsfeld responded, “I wish I knew.”

- Rumsfeld disputes that former Gen. Shinseki really asked for 400,000 troops and then admits he was right: “Now it turned out he was right… life goes on.”

- Asked if Iraq should scrap the unity government and just install another strongman like South Korea’s Syngman Yi, Rumsfeld derides former Iraqi prime minster Al-Jafaari as a “windsock.”

- Rumsfeld completely trashes former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ronald E. Neuman (currently president of the American Academy of Diplomacy): “I wouldn’t hire the guy to push a wheelbarrow” and calling him “terrible.”

- At one point, an analyst apologizes to Rumsfeld for not carrying the Pentagon’s water and slams those independent-minded analysts who wouldn’t take the bait:

“Do we share some of the fault there in our inability to make the case? Is there an issue with those [of] us, certainly not those at this table, but others in our profession that are reluctant to make that case out of fear of what? I don’t know, getting the American people too agitated about these things?”

- Later, the analysts off their help with the transition when Rumsfeld steps down: “We can certainly help with that, on the flipside, the transition on that.”

- Asked about Lee Hamilton’s suggestion that the road to peace begins and ends in Baghdad, Rumsfeld quips, “He should be in the media.” To which, one of the analysts responds, “He’s not that low yet, sir.”

- When one of the analysts thanks Rumsfeld and former Joint Chiefs chairman Peter Pace, Rumsfeld quips, “Oh hell. Now they’re going to want a raise.” The analyst goes on to praise Rumsfeld for bringing “true leadership” to the job and “the wherewithal to bang people’s heads.” Several other analysts chime in, “Here, here.”

Popularity: 3%

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 13th, 2008 at 3:09 pm and is filed under Iraq War, Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.