Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Did we save the world yet?

Just after we invaded Iraq in 2003, ex-SecDef Donald Rumsfeld wanted to know why was it taking so long to save the world? Here's the memo in it's entirety. Nope, it's not a parody. It's an official Defense Dept. document:
April 7, 2003
To: Doug Feith (then-Under SecDef for Policy)
From: Donald Rumsfeld
Subject: Issues w/Various Countries.

We need more coercive diplomacy with respect to Syria and Libya, and we need it fast. If they mess up Iraq, it will delay bringing our troops home. We also need to solve the Pakistan problem. And Korea doesn't seem to be going well. Are you coming up with proposals for me to send around? Thanks.
Heck, why not throw in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian problem by, say, close of business Friday? This is just ... wow. The Atlantic dug up this jewel from Rummy's website, Rumsfeld.com. As the Washington Monthly drolly noted, Dick Cheney once called Rummy "the best Secretary of Defense the United States has ever had." Right. I still wonder how we survived Team Bush.

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