There are no more insurgents in Iraq......

E

Eghad

New member
"Over the weekend, I thought to myself, 'You know, that gives them a greater legitimacy than they seem to merit,' " Rumsfeld, at a Pentagon briefing yesterday, said of his ban on the I-word. "It was an epiphany," he added, throwing his hands in the air.

Encouraging reporters to consult their dictionaries, the defense secretary said: "These people aren't trying to promote something other than disorder, and to take over that country and turn it into a caliphate and then spread it around the world. This is a group of people who don't merit the word 'insurgency,' I think."

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Peter Pace, standing at Rumsfeld's side, evidently didn't get the memo about the wording change. Describing combat in Iraq, he paused and said, "I have to use the word 'insurgent' because I can't think of a better word right now."

" 'Enemies of the legitimate Iraqi government' -- how's that?" Rumsfeld proposed.

then gets schooled by a Marine

When UPI's Pam Hess asked about torture by Iraqi authorities, Rumsfeld replied that "obviously, the United States does not have a responsibility" other than to voice disapproval.

But Pace had a different view. "It is the absolute responsibility of every U.S. service member, if they see inhumane treatment being conducted, to intervene, to stop it," the general said.

Rumsfeld interjected: "I don't think you mean they have an obligation to physically stop it; it's to report it."

But Pace meant what he said. "If they are physically present when inhumane treatment is taking place, sir, they have an obligation to try to stop it," he said, firmly.

LOL.. I think I like Gen Pace
 
Thesaurus entries for insurgent

Main Entry: insurgent
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: rebel
Synonyms: agitator, anarch, anarchist, demonstrator, frondeur, insurrectionist, malcontent, mutineer, radical, resister, revolter, revolutionary, revolutionist, rioter
Antonyms: loyalist
Source: Roget's New Millennium™ Thesaurus, First Edition (v 1.1.1)
Copyright © 2005 by Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved.


I can see mutineer, agitator, or insurrectionist.

All the others are just too focused (such as revolutionary) or not dedicated enough (like demonstrator).

I like insurrectionists.;)
 
Why don't we just call them "The enemy" from now on? Didn't we used to call them that? Maybe my family is just a little more military...dunno
 
Why don't we just call them "The enemy" from now on? Didn't we used to call them that? Maybe my family is just a little more military...dunno
Click to expand...

I agree...They are just scumbags who take pot-shots at, and plant IEDs to harm our troopers.

.
 
Thank You, Supertac. A big plus one. Seems that when some of these eggheads get together and try to rename things, its all about making them seem a bit less dangerous.

"I'm not drunk-I'm intoxicated!"

"Mortally wounded" How about dying or dead!!!!

"Surgical strike" Yeah, right. A 2000 pound bomb??? HELLO???
 
How about 'insurgent'? What, does Rummy really think that a change in title can create a change in substance? :rolleyes:
I'm also irked about their new made-up word: "Saddamist". They're Ba'athists and we don't need a new bulls&(t word to describe them.
 
or how about pissant terrorists that like to take cheap shots at america's fine young men and women. I guess.....in short......"THE ENEMY"
 
"does Rummy really think that a change in title can create a change in substance?"

I don't know. What are you attempting to accomplish by using a cutesy name like "Rummy"?

John
 
:D

sgtrummy.jpg
 
The important part of my post was the question, not the cutesy name. He doesn't like using the term 'insurgent'. So what? He can call 'em 'oompa-loompas' if he wishes. They're still insurgents.
If he was worth anything as a SecDef he'd focus on effective techniques for combatting insurgency instead of dreaming up new names for them. But he seems to think that applying a new title to them will somehow change what they are.
 
Iraq & insurgents

I personally wish that the U.S.A. and Russia would join forces and just literally destroy that entire part of the world.I am so sick of those people and thier problems, they have been killing themselfs and anyone else since the beginning of time and the people on this earth shouldnt have to put up w/thier crap anymore. Call them insurgents or whatever they are all blood thirsty savages, and to do that crap in the name of religion is sickening. I cant stand to lay in bed at night and worry about my only son getting killed over there (cause he's going back ) and there isnt one life over there that means as much to me as my pet cat, his name is Mauser, by the way. Face it, if a people cant figure out how to live with out dragging each other out in the street and chopping thier heads off in 2000+ years then they aint gonna catch-on by the time were all old and grey. Its sickening that the rest of the world has to put up with them, i wish they were all taking ''harp lessons''. see ya
 
This sort of war is all about perceptions. While eliminating terrorists and denying them state support (by making the cost of doing so unacceptable) is part of the plan, it is impossible to kill everyone who sympathizes with the terrorists and attempting to do so only creates more of them. That being said, an "insurgent" is a more or less legitimate fighter and part of the strategy is to deny them legitimacy. This ain't nothing new Rumsfeld thought up, it's in the FMs. Same thing with the news campaigns being conducted which have excited everyone lately.

The SecDef doesn't, or shouldn't anyway, dream up new tactics (strategies, maybe...), although some, McNamara for example, thought he should. That's why he has a military staff. He is better employed providing overall direction and the public face of the effort. Which is exactly what he is doing. Whether or not he's doing it right is much more debatable, but this is not an example of an improper tactic.

Again, it's all about perceptions and shaping them to our ends.

Incidentally, Rumsfeld visits the troops at Walter Reed quite often. He does so on weekends with no notice and no publicity. Pretty decent guy in person but surprisingly short. (What relevance that has, I don't know :confused: but I found it interesting)
 
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