Rumsfeld internal memo pessimistic over "war on terror."

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.


http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-10-22-defense-memo-usat_x.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/executive/rumsfeld-memo.htm

1) We were SERIOUS in our efforts to chase down Osama, and

2) We had not been diverted in that task for around a year by the folly of going to war in Iraq,

Maybe we would have made the "progress" Grumpy Rummy is frustrated about because he thinks it eludes us. Of course, given he was gung-ho about the Iraq diversion in the first place, he need only look in the mirror to place a good deal of the blame.x(

B-)

Bushies put on a brave front, but internally, they're unsure...

Boy heads are gonna, uh, well, maybe George will just have a few beers and take nap, play a few video games. Uncle Dick will handle this...

3 or so times in this memo Rumsfeld pushes the issue of "new" force structures outside the DoD to conduct the war on terror

I think I just heard "DANGER! DANGER! Will Robinson!!"

With all the branches of government controlled by the GOP, the neocons could achieve by this appointments of zealots who would direct a para-military force for the next generation that would conduct mostly clandestine operations based on the sort of "worst-case paranoia as reality" intelligence analysis brought to us by Rumsfeld's OSP. Imagine the potential for abuse, I am sure that TEAM B could make it real.

Rumsfeld is looking for something "seamless." I think we can take that to mean the "airtight" control of lethal forces under neoconservative principles and practices.


On edit: This memo can also be interpreted as part of the continuing war between DoD and CIA. Rumsfeld's proposal would certainly seamlessly include CIA.