It struck me last night, when the news reports started giving details about the release of the aid workers, how clever Rumsfeld is. He had the Northern Alliance rescue the aid workers on the ground; that way, no Americans were at risk of getting killed or wounded and if any of the aid workers were hurt or killed, well, it wouldn't be blamed on the US.

I'm pretty sure he knew, perhaps even encouraged, the Northern Alliance to push ahead into Kabul and the other cities. It sits much better with all the Muslim countries (even Pakistan) for Muslims to liberate those cities. Add into the mix that the US couldn't afford for Pakistan (and others) to get their way on Taliban representation in the government. I also think Rumsfeld laid down the law about reprisals and that's why there have been so few reports of what some of the news media have referred to as "atrocities."

I wonder if Rumsfeld could have foreseen the rapid crumbling of the Taliban forces? Certainly, they would not have tumbled as fast if US forces had been on the march in appreciable numbers and neither would the various factions have changed sides or surrendered to the Northern Alliance.

Interesting to ponder.

-- Anonymous, November 16, 2001

Answers

I have to agree with you, especially after the article you posted on his fight to rework the Clintonite thinking that had calcified our military...

What ever the source of the changes though, it's good to see effective plans coming to fruition...

Go Tali-Whackers!

-- Anonymous, November 16, 2001

Old Git, I agree it was brilliant.

-- Anonymous, November 16, 2001

i wonder who suggested it to him.

-- Anonymous, November 16, 2001

Doesn't really matter if it was Rumseld who thought of these things or whether he listened to someone(s) who made suggestions. Long as he approved them, that's the main thing. Perhaps "military intelligence" is becoming less of an oxymoron!

-- Anonymous, November 17, 2001