Defense Dept is lying about what Bremer said yesterday

[MSgt213]

Atrios has a post up about it with links.

LIIIIIIIAAAAARS

God, these people just never stop. Just repeating the post below, with link to CNN article.


A senior Defense Department official said that Bremer never asked for more troops and expressed annoyance the ambassador appeared to be second-guessing the advice of military officials. Bremer stepped down after the June 28 handover to an interim Iraqi government.


On CNN TV just now:



Officials here again say that during the time frame Paul Bremer served in Iraq he was in constant contact with the Penatgon, with the White House, he visited here several times and spokesman for Defense Sec. Donald Rumsfeld says the Secretary doesn't recall any point that Paul Bremer brought up with him at least the need for more troops. If it had come up, the Secretary would have paid a great deal of attention to that.


From July 1, 2003:


WASHINGTON - The top American administrator in Iraq, confronting growing anti-U.S. anger and guerrilla-style attacks, is asking for more American troops and dozens of U.S. officials to help speed up the restoration of order and public services.

Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld was reviewing the request from L. Paul Bremer, U.S. officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Bremer's request underscores how difficult it has been for his small civilian staff and some 158,000 U.S.-led troops to meet the demands of Iraqis for security and other basic needs. It also conflicts with upbeat public statements from President Bush, Rumsfeld and Bremer himself on the progress made on Iraq's political and economic reconstruction.

http://atrios.blogspot.com/

[Windy]

1. Send this to Kerry Campaign....

give them some ammo.

[sfecap]

2. Do a Google search...

There are a number of articles regarding Bremer's request for more troops. For instance:

U.S. overseer in Iraq seeks reinforcements

By Jonathan S. Landay and Warren P. Strobel
Wed, Jul. 02, 2003
Inquirer Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - The top American administrator in Iraq, confronting growing anti-U.S. anger and guerrilla-style attacks, is asking for more American troops and dozens of civilian officials to help speed up the restoration of order and public services.

Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld was reviewing the request from L. Paul Bremer, U.S. officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

(snip)

Senior U.S. officials said Bremer had asked for dozens of civilian officials to make up for a shortage of skilled Iraqi administrators who were not closely affiliated with Hussein's regime. In addition, more U.S. troops were needed as a "stopgap measure" until international peacekeepers start to arrive, one U.S. official said. None of the officials said how many troops Bremer had requested.

The Pentagon has been looking for three international divisions, about 60,000 troops. The deployment was being held up because Pakistan and other countries said they could not afford it.

The United States is exploring the creation of an international fund that oil-rich Persian Gulf nations, such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, would be asked to finance to help pay for peacekeeping, said a State Department official, who also requested anonymity.

Rumsfeld does not want to send more than the 146,000 American soldiers already in Iraq, and the issue is being fiercely debated, the U.S. officials said.

Previously, Rumsfeld and Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz rejected an estimate by the former Army chief of staff, Gen. Eric Shinseki, that several hundred thousand U.S. troops would be required to ensure stability in post-Hussein Iraq.

A Defense Department spokesman said the Pentagon would not discuss any communications between Bremer and Rumsfeld.

Rumsfeld on Monday denied that he had received "any requests for anything that has not been supplied."

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/6214287.htm?1c





They can't lie their way out of this one.

[seemslikeadream]

3. Bremer

Salon: "NeoCons set to take over Government...new "Anonymous" reports
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2452720&mesg_id=2452720

post #20