perfidy

I join John Cole in wondering just how the Rumsfeld memo that was leaked to the press today is bad thing.

Assuming it's real (and yes, I'm assuming it's real), Rummy is basically asking his senior staff "how're we doing? Long way to go... how can we do better?" and getting hit in the papers with charges of "admitting we've lost." Noooo, he's asking how we can more effectively fight the terrorists. Read the memo. These kind of questions are EXACTLY the kind of issues he should be addressing.

I tend to think Rumsfeld is kind of a dickhead, (and I LOVE to see him restrain his murder-urge in front of the press), but I love that he is taking the time to address issues like "Is the Department of Defense on the right track?" and "Are we doing the best we can in Afghanistan?" I'm really glad that someone with pull is asking these difficult questions about the War On Terrah, and taking the time to solicit responses. Hopefully this will lead to improvements in our tactics and strategery.

And I agree with Cole. Leaking this kind of memo and crucifying it in the media will only lead to; fewer such memos; fewer such questions; and greater opacity from our government. All these are, say it with me, Bad Things.

Dammit.

[memo reproduced below the break.]
October 16, 2003
TO: Gen. Dick Myers
Paul Wolfowitz
Gen. Pete Pace
Doug Feith

FROM: Donald Rumsfeld

SUBJECT: Global War on Terrorism

The questions I posed to combatant commanders this week were: Are we winning or losing the Global War on Terror? Is DoD changing fast enough to deal with the new 21st century security environment? Can a big institution change fast enough? Is the USG changing fast enough?

DoD has been organized, trained and equipped to fight big armies, navies and air forces. It is not possible to change DoD fast enough to successfully fight the global war on terror; an alternative might be to try to fashion a new institution, either within DoD or elsewhere — one that seamlessly focuses the capabilities of several departments and agencies on this key problem.

With respect to global terrorism, the record since Septermber 11th seems to be:

We are having mixed results with Al Qaida, although we have put considerable pressure on them — nonetheless, a great many remain at large.

USG has made reasonable progress in capturing or killing the top 55 Iraqis.

USG has made somewhat slower progress tracking down the Taliban — Omar, Hekmatyar, etc.

With respect to the Ansar Al-Islam, we are just getting started.

Have we fashioned the right mix of rewards, amnesty, protection and confidence in the US?

Does DoD need to think through new ways to organize, train, equip and focus to deal with the global war on terror?

Are the changes we have and are making too modest and incremental? My impression is that we have not yet made truly bold moves, although we have have made many sensible, logical moves in the right direction, but are they enough?

Today, we lack metrics to know if we are winning or losing the global war on terror. Are we capturing, killing or deterring and dissuading more terrorists every day than the madrassas and the radical clerics are recruiting, training and deploying against us?

Does the US need to fashion a broad, integrated plan to stop the next generation of terrorists? The US is putting relatively little effort into a long-range plan, but we are putting a great deal of effort into trying to stop terrorists. The cost-benefit ratio is against us! Our cost is billions against the terrorists' costs of millions.

Do we need a new organization?

How do we stop those who are financing the radical madrassa schools?

Is our current situation such that "the harder we work, the behinder we get"?

It is pretty clear that the coalition can win in Afghanistan and Iraq in one way or another, but it will be a long, hard slog.

Does CIA need a new finding?

Should we create a private foundation to entice radical madradssas to a more moderate course?

What else should we be considering?

Please be prepared to discuss this at our meeting on Saturday or Monday.

Thanks.