Rumsfeld Makes Rare Message Modifications

[Judi Lynn]

Rumsfeld Makes Rare Message Modifications
By MATT KELLEY, Associated Press Writer

Friday, June 10, 2005
06-10) 00:14 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) --

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld was publicly out of synch with members of the Bush administration twice this week, including the boss, marking a rare aberration for one of the Cabinet's best at voicing the party line.

On Wednesday, Rumsfeld told reporters in Norway that he hadn't heard anyone in the executive branch discuss the possibility of closing the U.S. prison camp for terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Less than a day later, President Bush said he wouldn't rule out closing the prison.

On Sunday, a top Pentagon official traveling with Rumsfeld in Singapore told reporters the Bush administration was considering taking the issue of North Korea's nuclear weapons program before the United Nations. The next day, Rumsfeld said reports of the official's comments were "inaccurate and mischievous."

The incidents show the difficulties of coordinating a White House message with Cabinet officials halfway around the world. Both times the message on a sensitive international issue shifted during the day in Washington while Rumsfeld's delegation was sleeping thousands of miles away.

Rumsfeld has been in similar predicaments before. In the run-up to the Iraq war, he ruffled plenty of feathers when he referred to Germany and France as "old Europe" at a time the Bush administration was trying to build a broad coalition for the eventual invasion.
(snip/...)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/06/10/national/w001424D73.DTL

[radfringe]

1. sounds like the

the radical-right hand doesn't know what the reich-hand is doing....

[Disturbed]

2. Rumsfaied is a true Sociopath.

He laughs it up while Iraqis and Amerikans are dying every day in Iraq, an invasion that he pushed hard for. He should have been Impeached and indicted long ago as the War Criminal he is!


Rumsfailed Admitted to Violating Geneva Convention

Rumsfailed admitted in public on TV that when CIA Director Tenet requested that an Iraqi prisoner be sent to a secret Afghan/US Prison that Rumsfailed did so. After four months a DOD Attorney stated that this was an illegal act. Rumsfailed then ordered that this prisoner be sent back to Abu Graihib but the prisoner was purposefully not listed at that location, also an illegal act. Rumsfeld also admitted to signing orders for tougher interogation methods which violated the Geneva Conventions.

Rumfailed has commited at least three violations of the Geneva Convention thereby also violations of The Constitution of the USA. Recently it has been found out that even more detainees were "ghost detainees". The fact that Rumsfailed and Tenet have not been charged speaks volumes. If Congress wishes to garner any respect they should move forward with Rep. Rangle's Impeachment Declaration of Rumsfailed and also proscecute Ex. CIA Tenet.


Does the US, Govt., Congress, and the Justice Dept no longer abide by the Geneva Convention or the Constitution of the USA?

[radfringe]

3. yep, just another bad apple in

the BUSH*el

[teryang]

4. They could be setting him up

With popularity plunging, the war as bad as ever and the recruiting crisis, he would make a nice sacrifice for the bush dynasty. Trouble is Rumsfeld has more power than the nominal president as his father, George H.W. Bush is losing his grip on power. White house equivocation in the press reflects a loss of confidence. Rumsfeld is not mistaken but pursuing the consistent course this regime has taken since day one.

It would be up to Cheney to get rid of him. Cheney however would have to go behind Rumsfeld's back (no problem there) and get independent ratification from the armaments lobby and maybe the Air Force. Rumsfeld has independent backers in the defense lobby who would be placed in the difficult position of choosing between Rumsfeld and Cheney loyalties. This is a tough decision that they haven't had to make before as the triumvirate looked solid till now. This and the open questioning of the DSM in the press raises the issue of whether a power struggle is breaking out.

[MaineDem]

5. "...the difficulties of coordinating a White House message..."

Jeez, do Blackberries work overseas?

Have they ever heard of telephones???

This is the 21st century for goodness sake. There is no excuse for not getting information to cabinet staffers, if not the Secretary himself, at any time of day. Wake 'em up for pete's sake!

Excuses...excuses... but at least this is being reported. A good start. I tend to think that some of these people are talking out of their butts with no clue what the official line is.

[lanlady]

6. nice spin

The incidents show the difficulties of coordinating a White House message with Cabinet officials halfway around the world.

I'd say the incidents show a clueless Administration in disarray.

[Supersedeas]

7. eeewwwww, inaccurate and mischievous....not the Bushies.