News & Politics - U.S. Soldiers in Iraq having to search dumps for armor?

SweetLisaLisa · 12-10-2004, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Reporter Played Role in Tough Question to Rumsfeld
Guardsman Asked About Lack of Armor in Iraq
By BILL POOVEY, AP

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (Dec. 9) - A National Guardsman who asked Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld a bold question about armor on war vehicles went to the microphone after consulting with a Tennessee reporter.

Chattanooga Times Free Press reporter Edward Lee Pitts, who is embedded with the 278th Regimental Combat Team, wrote about the incident in an e-mail to co-workers sent Wednesday.

Army Spc. Thomas Wilson, left, asked Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld a question about armor.

Pitts said he worked with guardsmen after being told reporters would not be allowed to ask Rumsfeld any questions.

"I was told yesterday that only soldiers could ask questions so I brought two of them along with me as my escorts,'' he wrote. "Before hand we worked on questions to ask Rumsfeld about the appalling lack of armor their vehicles going into combat have.''

Pitts also said he arranged for the questioners to get recognized.

"While waiting for the VIP, I went and found the Sgt. in charge of the microphone for the question and answer session and made sure he knew to get my guys out of the crowd,'' Pitts wrote in an e-mail that was posted on several Web sites Thursday.

Spc. Thomas "Jerry'' Wilson, 31, of Nashville, asked Rumsfeld why, after almost two years of war, soldiers were searching dumps for metal to weld on vehicles destined for hostile territory.

"Why do we soldiers have to dig through local landfills for pieces of scrap metal and compromised ballistic glass to up-armor our vehicles?'' Wilson said.

The question appeared to surprise Rumsfeld and prompted cheers among the soldiers listening to him in a hangar.

Tom Griscom, the Chattanooga newspaper's publisher and executive editor, commended the reporter's work Thursday. He said the question was one that members of the unit and their families wanted answered, based on the reporter's previous coverage of training stints in Mississippi and California.

"I think that Lee used what was available to him to get an answer to a story that we have covered and that has been important,'' said Griscom, who served as White House communications director under President Reagan.

Kelly McBride, a member of the ethics faculty at the Poynter Institute, said she did not fault the reporter for getting help with asking the question, but described the failure to include that information with his story as "dishonest with his readers.''

"I think he should have been more transparent with his readers,'' she said.

"I suspect some people would see it as manipulative,'' McBride said. "I suspect Rumsfeld felt manipulated.''

Pentagon spokesman Larry Di Rita said Rumsfeld gives reporters ample time to ask questions and that his appearance in Kuwait was for the soldiers.

"Town Hall meetings are intended for soldiers to have dialogue with the secretary of defense,'' Di Rita said. "It would be unfortunate to discover that anyone might have interfered with that opportunity, whatever the intention.''

Griscom said Thursday he did not have a chance to ask Pitts about exactly how he collaborated with Wilson before the question was posed to Rumsfeld.

In hindsight, Griscom said, the newspaper should have informed readers in a note with the story published Thursday. He said there would be a note to readers in Friday editions.

The reporter's e-mail also indicated Pitts was proud of his role in asking the question: "I just had one of my best days as a journalist today,'' he wrote.

He said it "felt good'' that the question and answer received so much attention from other media.

"I believe lives are at stake with so many soldiers going across the border riding with scrap metal as protection,'' Pitts wrote. "It may be too late for the unit I am with, but hopefully not for those who come after.''

The Chattanooga newspaper and the Tennessee National Guard said Thursday that they could not reach Wilson.

12/09/04 23:43 EST

- Jen - · 12-11-2004, 03:10 AM

good on them, its about time that the administration got hit with the tough questions.

The look on Rumsfelds face was hilarious..

SweetLisaLisa · 12-11-2004, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by - Jen -
good on them, its about time that the administration got hit with the tough questions.

The look on Rumsfelds face was hilarious..

I totally agree with you.

86amanda86 · 12-15-2004, 03:26 PM

does anyone else know the real story?? that question was a setup by the reporter. It was supposed to be an open Q and A where any soldier could ask an honest question and Rummy was completely willing to give and honest answer. Instead, that reporter approached the soldier beforehand and told him word for word the question he wanted asked, which he came up with, not the soldier, then reported it as if it was some great thing that this soldier had the guts to ask a tough question. Hmmmm, and the soldier went along with it and was happy to take the credit until the story broke when an interoffice memo was found from the reporter telling his colleague what really happened.

Sad, It really is.

Milt Palacio · 12-15-2004, 03:57 PM

It really doesn't matter who originally wrote the question.

This has been a concern of the troops for over a year. The soldiers' response when the question was asked was very real. It has been on their minds for some time now.

What was really sad was Rumsfeld's answer. "You go to war with the armor you have, not the armor you want".

Reeeaaaal reassuring there, big guy. Way to protect our troops.

ceilirose · 12-15-2004, 04:11 PM

What's sad is the machinations that the press has to go through to get a honest answer from a civil servant. Yes..Donald Rumsfeld is nothing but a high paid public employee whose salary is funded by tax payer's dollars.

What's sadder is that the soldier's family is being harrased because of the question he asked.

A few towns away from where I live a soldier lost his life when he was hit in one of those humvees that didn't have the armor. When the soldier's father was asked about Rumsfeld's comment he said that the 'only thing that stunk more than his answer was the smell in the landfill that the soldiers had to look through.'

This problem has been going on for close to a year. It's the direct result of poor planning by the Administration. They didn't expect a strong insurgency or door to door fighting and now our soldiers are paying the ultimate price for their mistakes.

86amanda86 · 12-15-2004, 06:11 PM

You've got to be kidding me! Thats not even real reporting, its just further proof that the media wants us to feel a certain way. That the media dictates what we see and the angle we see it from. How do we even know that this is a question that is a concern of the troops? All we know is that this reporter wanted a scoop so he created news!

If it really WAS as huge a concern as you said it was then why did this reporter have to feed a soldier the question? If it was such a serious matter dont you think a soldier would have come up with it on his own?

Milt Palacio · 12-15-2004, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 86amanda86
How do we even know that this is a question that is a concern of the troops?

Did you hear the response to the question? The soldiers in attendance all cheered.

Also, if you kept up with news you'd know that numerous soldiers and their parents have corroborated this concern.

Don't get mad at us for being concerned about the safety of our troops. We should all question Rumsfeld to make sure our troops are protected with the best armor possible.

ceilirose · 12-15-2004, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 86amanda86
You've got to be kidding me! Thats not even real reporting, its just further proof that the media wants us to feel a certain way. That the media dictates what we see and the angle we see it from. How do we even know that this is a question that is a concern of the troops? All we know is that this reporter wanted a scoop so he created news!

If it really WAS as huge a concern as you said it was then why did this reporter have to feed a soldier the question? If it was such a serious matter dont you think a soldier would have come up with it on his own?

I think you're kidding me. This has been a huge issue for close to a year. Bush & Karl Rove crucified Kerry on this issue during the election.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that up-armor on a humvee (protection on the sides) will help when a roadside bomb goes off by a convoy. This is what is killing and maiming our US soldiers due a certain degree.

Ask a parent of a dead soldier how they feel about unprotected humvees...they'll tell you how important it is.

Seriously...you need to read up on the subject.

Like Milt said..the reaction to that soldier's question wasn't staged. In fact I heard on the news today that the Pentagon has requested more humvee armor and that production will speed up.

pacifierrocks · 12-15-2004, 06:40 PM

Who cares how they got the question to be asked? It's a question that should be asked. Obviously there is something wrong with sending troops to defend another nation's freedom, and they don't have enough armor to protect themselves. Instead they have to look through trash. If this was a way to get this problem taken care of, then so be it.

86amanda86 · 12-15-2004, 06:41 PM

I dont object to the concern. I object to this reporter stepping in and telling the soldier what to say just so that he could report it. That is wrong and dishonest. A reporters job is to stand objectively in his corner and report what happens honestly and fairly. Not to plant a story where there may not have been one to begin with.

As for the concern and the question, Rummy, no matter how ugly it sounds, is right. War is war. War is ugly. It would be nice if we could suit all our guys up in heavily armor and fine artillery but thats not the way it works. Throughout history it never has been. You go in with a helmet, your pretty green suit, a rifle and courage. As cold or stupid his answer sounded, he's right. You go into war to do what has to be done, even if you aren't always going in under the ideal circumstances. Its war, the ideal circumstance is not being there, but the reality a is a bit more brutal than that.

ceilirose · 12-15-2004, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 86amanda86
I dont object to the concern. I object to this reporter stepping in and telling the soldier what to say just so that he could report it. That is wrong and dishonest. A reporters job is to stand objectively in his corner and report what happens honestly and fairly. Not to plant a story where there may not have been one to begin with.

As for the concern and the question, Rummy, no matter how ugly it sounds, is right. War is war. War is ugly. It would be nice if we could suit all our guys up in heavily armor and fine artillery but thats not the way it works. Throughout history it never has been. You go in with a helmet, your pretty green suit, a rifle and courage. As cold or stupid his answer sounded, he's right. You go into war to do what has to be done, even if you aren't always going in under the ideal circumstances. Its war, the ideal circumstance is not being there, but the reality a is a bit more brutal than that.

You really need to read up on the issue..that's all I can say. Just so you know, two prominent Republican Senators (McCain & Hagel) have publically stated that they have no faith in Rumsfeld. It's due in part to his comments last week and his terrible post war planning. McCain and Hagel are both Vietnam War veterans so I'm sure they know something about being under fire and serving their country.

As far as your second paragraph is concerned...Rumsfeld served in the military but never in battle as far as I know. What would he know about being shot at by the enemy. I'd love for you to send that paragraph to a soldier in the frontlines of Iraq right now and see what she or he would say.

If you're fixating on the reporter's actions in this whole issue then you can't really care about the soldier's welfare at all.

86amanda86 · 12-15-2004, 06:53 PM

I have 4 cousins in Iraq. One was killed three weeks ago.

pacifierrocks · 12-15-2004, 06:55 PM

if we don't have the supplies to properly equip our soldiers then i don't think we should have gotten in this war in the first place. this is not a war that was urgently needed to be had.

ceilirose · 12-15-2004, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 86amanda86
I have 4 cousins in Iraq. One was killed three weeks ago.

I'm sorry for that but it only becomes more imperative that you read up on this issue. Rumsfeld has been negligient on this issue and he needs to take accountability for it.


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