Donald Rumsfeld didn’t pull any punches recently when pointing out how successful terrorists have been at times in manipulating the media:
FALLON NAVAL AIR STATION, Nev. (AP) — Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Monday he is deeply troubled by the success of terrorist groups in “manipulating the media” to influence Westerners. “What bothers me the most is how clever the enemy is,” he continued, launching an extensive broadside at Islamic extremist groups which he said are trying to undermine Western support for the war on terror. “They are actively manipulating the media in this country” by, for example, falsely blaming U.S. troops for civilian deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said. “They can lie with impunity.”
Link via Newsbusters who has more.
MikeSC,
Are you saying that our Grandfathers, Fathers and Uncles (Grandmothers, Mothers and Aunts were also a big part of the WWII effort) were guilty of committing war crimes? Because if you are, I hope you have some proof to back up your claim. Otherwise I’ll just chalk it up to somebody who lives in his own fantasy world of spin.
“I’ll GUARANTEE you that your grandfather did stuff that makes anything done in the War thus far seem downright tame in comparison.”
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I remember the German war machine under trial for crimes against humanity, not American soldiers. I don’t remember our boys committing torture and rape in any of the prisoners of war camps we maintained oversees during WWII. Our troops were to well disciplined to do something that stupid. After you win the battle you must win the hearts and minds (like japan and germany for example) to win the war.
how66,
Thanks for the laugh (1/2 [email protected]:30: your new name for me made my night). You have no idea how often I feel that way. Seriously, thanks I needed that : )
Feild-negro; “frat boy has the authority to use the armed forces. It doesn’t say he had to use it. Big difference there my man”
So you think it would have been best to just make an empty threat with no intention of enforcing it?
Yeah that would have worked.
Of course that’s exactly what Kerry said should have been done when he was campaigning in ’04. That guy was such an idiot, yet he is best that the democratic party has to offer.
Even though you historical revisionists on the left want to igore the truth on this one, Bush did not just attack Iraq out of the blue. He gave Saddam the option to comply with the United Nations. He gave them a deadline. One the deadline was reached and Saddam remained in defiance of the United Nations, Bush had no other option. Had we done what Kerry suggested (just made an empty threat) we would NEVER AGAIN be able to use diplomacy to solve a problem like this.
From reading your posts it shows that you sure need something-like a good dose of the smarts.
Are you saying that our Grandfathers, Fathers and Uncles (Grandmothers, Mothers and Aunts were also a big part of the WWII effort) were guilty of committing war crimes?
By the left’s current definition, without a doubt. Horrific ones in the current eyes of the left. Psychological abuse of prisoners on a horifying scale.
Your grandfather, for example, sure as hell would not have provided a Muslim inmate Korans or assistance in finding Mecca. Which, of course, would be quite the war crime today.
However, are they war crimes by a rational definition? No.
But rational left the window the day Bush was elected with the left.
Because if you are, I hope you have some proof to back up your claim. Otherwise I’ll just chalk it up to somebody who lives in his own fantasy world of spin.
I’ll suggest you read up on what happened in the battlefields. Horrific stuff.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I remember the German war machine under trial for crimes against humanity, not American soldiers.
Well, we DID win. We didn’t try the Japanese under war crimes laws to any extent either and THEY did things that would’ve made the Nazis retch.
You can easily call the bombing of Dresden a massive war crime if one was so inclined.
I don’t remember our boys committing torture and rape in any of the prisoners of war camps we maintained oversees during WWII.
Wow, things you don’t remember. Stunning.
Torture by your definition occurred without any doubt whatsoever. Rape? Isn’t occurring now in POW camps.
Our troops were to well disciplined to do something that stupid. After you win the battle you must win the hearts and minds (like japan and germany for example) to win the war.
It’s kinda cute that you’re this naive to believe nothing bad happened until Vietnam. Yup, THAT was where it ALL started.
Sure.
-=Mike
After you win the battle you must win the hearts and minds (like japan and germany for example) to win the war.
Amazing what dropping an A bomb on two inhabited cities will do for hearts and minds, huh. And by the lefts definition, wouldn’t that be a war crime.
“So you think it would have been best to just make an empty threat with no intention of enforcing it?”
You mean kind of like frat boy has been doing with Iran, N. Korea, and that axis of evil?
Those empty threats?
Oh, and jhoe69 or whatever your handle is; real clever with the names.(You should be writing jokes…I mean news for FOX) But you still didn’t answer my question. Anyway, I get it, republican die hards are like boxers, always sticking and moving.
Nice!
Fierld-negro,
I have no idea what threats you’re talking about. Care to elaborate? Or give at least one example?
And the countries you mentioned in the second paragraph are part of the axis of evil so that paragraph was gramatically incorrect.
Ya need proof? (taken from the wikipedia on Eddie Slovik–the only American soldier shot for desertion in WWII)
Court martial
The 28th Division was scheduled to begin an attack on Hurtgen Forest. The attack was common knowledge in the unit and casualty rates were expected to be very high. Men indicated they preferred to be imprisoned rather than remain in combat and the rates for desertion and other crimes had begun to rise.
Slovik was charged with desertion to avoid hazardous duty and court martialled on November 11, 1944. The prosecutor, Captain John Green, presented witnesses to whom Slovik had stated his intent to “run away”. The defense counsel, Captain Edward Woods, announced that Slovik had elected not to testify. The nine officers of the court found Slovik guilty and sentenced him to death. The sentence was reviewed and approved by the divisional commander, Major General Norman Cota.
On December 9, Slovik wrote a letter to the Supreme Allied commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, pleading for clemency. Desertion, however, had become a problem and Eisenhower confirmed the execution order on December 23. The execution, by firing squad, was carried out at 10:04 a.m. on January 31, 1945, near the village of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines. Slovik was twenty-four years old.
Slovik was buried in the Oise-Aisne Cemetery in Fère-en-Tardenois alongside ninety-four other American soldiers executed for crimes such as rape and murder. Their headstones bore numbers rather than names. In 1987, forty-two years after his execution, Slovik’s remains were returned to Michigan and reburied in Woodmere Cemetery, Detroit, next to his wife Antoinette, who had died in 1979. Slovik’s wife and others have petitioned seven U.S. Presidents, but Slovik has not been pardoned.
You liberals are naive to believe that this behavior is “new”. Do you honestly think that an execution for desertion could happen today?
P Bunyan, thanks for the correction. You are right, I should have said ~and that other member of the “axis of evil~. I didn’t know I stumbled on the Librarian web site. But since we are correcting, it’s field not “fierld”.
Moseby,
Thank you for taking my bait so that I could make a simple point. Anyone with an 8th grade understanding of WW II knew that the punishment for desertion and war crimes by US troops was execution. Here were my traps:
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I remember the German war machine under trial for crimes against humanity, not American soldiers.”
: note the direct challenge
: and this little ditty.
“I don’t remember our boys committing torture and rape in any of the prisoners of war camps we maintained oversees during WWII.”
then stir in some left wing talking points ( buzz words like Hearts and Minds)
Knowing full well that at least one of you guy or gals would do a little research and prove me wrong. You know you guys love to prove people you perceive as libs wrong. Then all I had to do is have one of you advocate this form of punishment for todays combat situations.
“Do you honestly think that an execution for desertion could happen today?”
I know this isn’t a direct approval of the policy but you leaning that way and you like to show how weak libs are by not supporting it. That’s close enough and if I waited any longer for you guys we’d be on page 3.
Then all I had to do is ask questions like: How far up the chain of command are you willing to go with this policy? Why do you hate our troops? Why do they need to be in Iraq. How many more are you willing to sacrifice before they can come home?
hey [email protected], I had a good loff at yer post. SIMPLE POINT? Yer post is so convoluted and disjointed I have no idea what yer point is, dummy. Typical liberal.
Here’s what I figger happened this morning:
-The bars closed at 2 AM
-It took you 9 minutes to stagger home.
-It took you 4 minutes to get the key in the lock.
-You fell down and slept on the floor for 7 minutes (ooh…how’s that bump on the noggin?).
-It took 8 minutes to draft that ridiculous brain dump and hit “post”.
Was I close? Lemme know, please…