Mmmm. Who Should I Believe?

Ken AshfordIraqLeave a Comment

Gosh, I’m in a quandary.  First, there’s this Pentagon study:

Stretched by frequent troop rotations to Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army has become a "thin green line" that could snap unless relief comes soon, according to a study for the Pentagon.

Then there’s Donald "There Are Known Knowns And Known Unknowns, But We Know Where The WMDs Are (They’re Just South of Tikrit)" Rumsfeld:

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on Wednesday disputed reports suggesting that the U.S. military is stretched thin and close to a snapping point from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, asserting "the force is not broken."

Call me crazy, but I’m going to choose the former.  Especially when Rumsfeld is so obviously out of touch:

The secretary suggested he was not familiar with reports suggesting an overburdened military. But, he said, "It’s clear that those comments do not reflect the current situation They are either out of date or just misdirected."

Well, the Pentagon report is NOT "out of date" (the report cites 2005 recruitment levels, among other recent statistics).

And what does Rumsfeld mean that the Pentagon report was "misdirected"?  Is he saying that the post office is somehow to blame? 

Oh, really.  Who cares?  The guy’s out of his bird.