Author Topic: Yeaaaaaaaaah! RUMSFELD! (Read 432 times)

Toad · « **on:** March 06, 2003, 08:54:41 PM »

There is hope!

Pentagon Town Hall Meeting with Secretary Rumsfeld

Thursday, March 6, 2003 - 10:27 a.m. EST

Quote

.......

Now, we still have to some extent a leftover force deployment arrangement. We have a lot of forces in Germany because they were there -- it was important that they be there during the Cold War because of the Soviet Union and the possible threat across the North German plain. Obviously that's not the case today.

We still have a lot of forces in Korea arranged very far forward, where it's intrusive in their lives, and where they really aren't very flexible or usable for other things. And here's South Korea with a GDP that's probably 25, 35 times North Korea's, and has all the capability in the world of providing the kind of up-front deterrent that is needed. And we of course have comparative advantages with respect to an air hub or a sea hub and reinforcement. So we are what the new president for Korea, for example, ran and asked that we look at how we might rebalance our relationship and our force structure. So we are -- General LaPorte is engaged in that process, and it's a consultative process with the South Korean government.

And I suspect that what we'll do is we'll end up making some adjustments there. Whether the forces would come home or whether they'd move farther south on the peninsula, or whether they would move to some neighboring area are the kinds of things that are being sorted out.

The same thing is true with our forces in Western Europe. We have had some difficulties, for example, recently in the force flow where we weren't allowed to take forces across Austria by train. There was question about whether we could move them through some other countries. And of course the taxpayers of the United States can't have one military for the United States and another that's only usable when country A, B, C or D allows that we might be willing to use it. So we do have to look at that arrangement. But we do need to do it in a way that we retain a forward deployment of some forces, in a way that we recognize the fact that we do have the ability to move forces fairly rapidly.

The movement of forces from the continental limits of the United States, or the 50 states of the United States, to some other location is generally not where the time is used up. The time tends to be used up in planning, and thinking, and getting ready and that type of thing. So we do have I think with today's speed of communication and transportation the ability to make some adjustments that I hope would be somewhat less stressful on our force, and that we'll still demonstrate to the world that we are engaged in the world, we care about assisting our friends and allies across the globe, and that we are just simply making the kinds of logical adjustments. General Jones in Europe is in the process of thinking that through as well, and I suspect he'll be coming back with some recommendations in the period ahead.

BRING 'EM HOME!

NUKE · « **Reply #1 on:** March 06, 2003, 09:02:13 PM »

for that post Toad .

Nice to see that people with common sense are running our country now.

Very nice!

Hangtime · « **Reply #2 on:** March 06, 2003, 09:05:37 PM »

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BRING 'EM HOME!

awww... can't we give 'em all a goverment paid 30 day leave in Paris on the way back?

Yeager · « **Reply #3 on:** March 06, 2003, 09:21:16 PM »

Yup....a relic of the cold war in Europe. A relic of the continuing war in Korea. Not needed, unwanted...bring em home. Hell, I dont need my job going to S Korea anyway. Let the North have it and never waste another american on the POS terrain ever again.

The only other alternative is for a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the NK freaks and our flower power dorkwipes dont much care for that idea

Bring em home post haste before that nuclear strike becomes necessary.

As much as Rummy talks before thinking (aka blunt honesty), I generally like what he says.

Hornet · « **Reply #4 on:** March 06, 2003, 09:56:56 PM »

How long before we get smart and withdraw from NATO? Probably the most worthless alliance of any of our associations, and in a symbolic way still a detriment to our growing relationship with Russia - a country that will actually be relevant to us in the future.

fd ski · « **Reply #5 on:** March 06, 2003, 10:04:18 PM »

Aren't the forces we have there decribed as "trip wire" ?

So what happends when NK decides it's time to do the 1950 again and we're away ?
Shooting starts and they promise not to use nukes as long as everyone else is playing nice ?

How come we're not applying the same standard to NK as to Iraq ? The way i read it, we're backing down. We're giving in to NK.

As for troops in Europe, damn right. Bring them home. No need for them there any longer.

Staga · « **Reply #6 on:** March 06, 2003, 10:38:05 PM »

uhmm... NK is having a nuke, it's the biggest and baddest country of the "Axis of Evil" (Iraqis are playing in the kiddie league) and now you're thinking of bringing your troops out from there?

Oh I forgot; there's no oil and my guess is that really makes a difference

Gyro/T69 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 06, 2003, 11:11:25 PM »

Staga, here's what may happen in a Korea war.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2003/030228-dprkwar01.htm

Have you taken any of this into consideration?

BTW, there's been troops there for fifth years, where was the old? 54,246 American die during the war, where was the oil?

Toad · « **Reply #8 on:** March 06, 2003, 11:18:07 PM »

Tsk, tsk, Ski.

Tripwire for what? To trip up the peace loving peoples of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea when they take a Sunday drive in their T-72's? Who are we to tell them where they can go for a Sunday drive?

To paraphrase a famous AH pundit, "South Korea is threatened in no way by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, it's just plain ridiculous".

Also, if the Democratic People's Republic of Korea "decides it's time to do the 1950 again" they'll be stopped cold once they see that blue UN flag flying over the DMZ. You don't REALLY think they'd risk the ire of the bold, decisive, awesome power of the UN Security Council, do you? Really?

Beyond that, we have a responsibility to honor the wishes of the host country. Many South Koreans have taken to the streets with banners and posters asking us to get out of there. We must be receptive and obedient to their wishes. After all, the protesters are always right.

Backing down? The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has NO nukes or WMD. The inspectors were JUST there and didn't say anything about those. I'm sure the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will let the inspectors return without having to put any pressure on, just like Saddam did. So, how can we be backing down if they have no nukes or other WMD.

I say it again: "South Korea is threatened in no way by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, it's just plain ridiculous".

So, time to get our troops out of there; it's what the protesters want.

Gyro/T69 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 06, 2003, 11:24:59 PM »

^^^^^^^^^^^
diddly'n a bubba

Just think of all the wonderfull opportunely the people of South Korea would enjoy under the government of the peaceful North. Hope they enjoy it.

AKIron · « **Reply #10 on:** March 07, 2003, 12:07:14 AM »

Yep, bring 'em home. Redeployment plan should consist solely of programming an ICBM targeting system.

funkedup · « **Reply #11 on:** March 07, 2003, 12:10:02 AM »

Thanks for posting that Toad. Very nice to hear somebody in DC talking sense.

OZkansas · « **Reply #12 on:** March 07, 2003, 12:24:35 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Toad
Tsk, tsk, Ski.

Tripwire for what? To trip up the peace loving peoples of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea when they take a Sunday drive in their T-72's? Who are we to tell them where they can go for a Sunday drive?

To paraphrase a famous AH pundit, "South Korea is threatened in no way by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, it's just plain ridiculous".

Also, if the Democratic People's Republic of Korea "decides it's time to do the 1950 again" they'll be stopped cold once they see that blue UN flag flying over the DMZ. You don't REALLY think they'd risk the ire of the bold, decisive, awesome power of the UN Security Council, do you? Really?

Beyond that, we have a responsibility to honor the wishes of the host country. Many South Koreans have taken to the streets with banners and posters asking us to get out of there. We must be receptive and obedient to their wishes. After all, the protesters are always right.

Backing down? The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has NO nukes or WMD. The inspectors were JUST there and didn't say anything about those. I'm sure the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will let the inspectors return without having to put any pressure on, just like Saddam did. So, how can we be backing down if they have no nukes or other WMD.

I say it again: "South Korea is threatened in no way by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, it's just plain ridiculous".

So, time to get our troops out of there; it's what the protesters want.

Toad, now that their pants are down around their ankles can I kick them in the butt? Please, please,please!!