A Long, Hard Slog

Slog means dead soldiers and depleted uranium and bombs. It means increasing attacks and deaths. Rummy chooses his words carefully.

I think these words should be repeated to anybody who supports this war.


With a Smile and a Joke, Rumsfeld Defends Iraq Memo
By BRIAN KNOWLTON,
International Herald Tribune

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/23/international/middleeast/23CND-RUMS.html?hp

He said that the United States faced "a long, hard slog" in Afghanistan and Iraq; that the Pentagon might not be well-structured to defeat the terrorist threat and some new agency might be needed; and that results in the fight against Al Qaeda militants had been "mixed."

That brought serious questions from many in Congress, including some Republicans. A few people even asked if Mr. Rumsfeld's position was secure.

Mr. Rumsfeld has been facing sharp criticism over remarks on Islam by a high-ranking official in the Defense Department. Amid postwar problems in Iraq, the White House shifted added responsibility from the Pentagon to the office of the national security adviser.

Mr. Rumsfeld, primarily addressing the memo, made an effort today to defuse the criticism with humor. He cited a definition of "slog" that emphasized hitting an enemy hard. Asked about a more traditional definition that emphasized slow and messy going, he smiled and said, "I read the one I liked."

Rummy is insane!