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Rumsfeld's Rules

Reader comment on item: Who Is the Enemy?

Submitted by Dan Schwartz (United States), Sep 4, 2002 at 11:24

"If a problem cannot be solved, enlarge it." (Dwight D. Eisenhower)
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jan2001/rumsfeldsrules.pdf


This seems to be the reply to your paragraph (cited below) about your contention that the former Middle East envoy "seemed troubled by the vagueness of this dangerously ambitious goal." When you look at the Secretary's actions in the context of enlarging the scope of an otherwise intractable problem, it makes complete sense.


ORIGINAL TEXT:

"Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, for one, seemed troubled by the vagueness of this dangerously ambitious goal. At one early point, he dismissed as unrealistic `the idea of eliminating [terrorism] from the face of the earth.' But he proceeded to propose a no less elusive aim. Americans are a freedom-loving people, Rumsfeld said, so the definition of victory was an environment in which they could "in fact fulfill and live those freedoms," and in which others would be prevented "from adversely affecting our way of life." This was admirable, especially the last part, though hardly an objective to hand to a general and say, `Accomplish this.'"
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Reader comments (7) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
The Muslim Times [12 words]RehaanFeb 19, 2013 08:54203646
1Treason [89 words]Greg ZottaApr 1, 2011 05:37183794
islamists have clearly said that our enemy is . . . islam ! ! ! .. Mar. 2010. [314 words]Phil GreendMar 1, 2010 14:59169530
rv [12 words]-njmMar 10, 2007 14:1785673
the execution [491 words]darFeb 5, 2007 00:5176001
Thank you very much for such a good work [15 words]Quirrel FuSep 11, 2006 09:3155523
Rumsfeld's Rules [171 words]Dan SchwartzSep 4, 2002 11:242271

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