Rumsfeld has come up with a brilliant new solution to the Iraq problem:
Rename it.
Highlights below.
Over the weekend, our Secretary of Defense had an "epiphany" on the Iraq debacle:
"I've thought about it. And, over the weekend, I thought to myself, you know, that gives them a greater legitimacy than they seem to merit," Rumsfeld said.
Rumsfeld instead referred to the guerrillas in Iraq as "the terrorists" and "the enemies of the government." U.S. military statements also have referred to insurgents as "anti-Iraqi forces."
Reuters encouragingly notes that the English language may not agree with Rumsfeld's assessment:
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines an insurgent as "a person who revolts against civil authority or an established government."
Rummy added a subtlety to the "actual" definition:
"I think that you can have a legitimate insurgency in a country that has popular support and has a cohesiveness and has a legitimate gripe. These people don't have a legitimate gripe," Rumsfeld said.
No legitimate gripe?
I think it's reprehensible how the insurgents have chosen to address their gripe. I want them dead for trying to kill our guys. But no gripe at all? I guess they're just in it for the entertainment...
The top
actual military commander couldn't bring himself to follow Rummy's plea:
During the briefing, the top U.S. military officer, Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, slipped up twice and said "insurgent." With Rumsfeld standing at his side, Pace told reporters, "I have to use the word 'insurgent' because I can't think of a better word right now."
Moments later, Pace again referred to "the insurgents," then told his boss, "Sorry, sir. I'm not trainable today."