Rumsfeld says terrorists manipulate media (AP)

[Ron Burgundy]

AP - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Monday he is deeply troubled by the success of terrorist groups in "manipulating the media" to influence Westerners.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Tuesday the world faces "a new type of fascism" and warned against repeating the pre-World War II mistake of appeasement.
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Rumsfeld alluded to critics of the Bush administration's war policies in terms associated with the failure to stop Nazism in the 1930s, "a time when a certain amount of cynicism and moral confusion set in among the Western democracies."

Without explicitly citing Bush critics at home or abroad, he said "it is apparent that many have still not learned history's lessons." Aides to Rumsfeld said later he was not accusing the administration's critics of trying to appease the terrorists but was cautioning against a repeat of errors made in earlier eras.

Speaking to several thousand veterans at the American Legion's national convention, Rumsfeld said that as fascism and Nazism took hold in Europe, those who warned of a coming crisis were ridiculed or ignored. He quoted Winston Churchill as observing that trying to accommodate Hitler was "a bit like feeding a crocodile, hoping it would eat you last."

"I recount this history because once again we face similar challenges in efforts to confront the rising threat of a new type of fascism," he said.

"Can we truly afford to believe that somehow, some way, vicious extremists can be appeased?" he asked.

"Can we truly afford to return to the destructive view that America — not the enemy — is the real source of the world's troubles?"

Rumsfeld spoke to the American Legion as part of a coordinated White House strategy, before the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, to take the offensive against administration critics at a time of doubt about the future of
Iraq and growing calls to withdraw U.S. troops.

Addressing the same audience later Tuesday, Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice said the Bush administration is countering extremism with hope and democracy, and that history will bear out that strategy.

"If we quit before the job is done, the cost of failure will be severe, indeed immeasurable," Rice said.

"If we abandon the Iraqi people before their government is strong enough to secure the country, we will show reformers across the region that America cannot be trusted to keep its word," she added.

Bush was scheduled to speak here later in the week.

Rumsfeld recalled a string of recent terrorist attacks, from 9/11 to deadly bombings in Bali, London and Madrid, and said it should be obvious to anyone that terrorists must be confronted, not appeased.

"But some seem not to have learned history's lessons," he said, adding that part of the problem is that the American news media have tended to emphasize the negative rather than the positive.

He said, for example, that more media attention was given to U.S. soldiers' abuse of Iraqi prisoners at
Abu Ghraib than to the fact that Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith received the Medal of Honor.

He did acknowledge that the U.S. military has its own "bad actors — the ones who dominate the headlines today — who don't live up to the standards of the oath and of our country." But he added that they are a small percentage of the hundreds of thousands of troops who have served in Iraq and
Afghanistan.

"Those who know the truth need to speak out against these kinds of myths and lies and distortions being told about our troops and about our country," he said.

On Monday, Vice President
Dick Cheney and Rumsfeld made separate addresses to the national convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Reno, Nev.

Rumsfeld made similar arguments in Reno about doubters of the administration's approach to fighting terrorism, saying too many in this country want to "blame America first" and ignore the enemy.

Rumsfeld's remarks ignited angry rebukes from Democrats.

"It's a political rant to cover up his incompetence," said Sen. Jack Reed (news, bio, voting record), D-R.I., a former Army officer and member of the
Senate Armed Services Committee.

Reed said he took particular exception to the implication that critics of
Pentagon policies are unpatriotic, citing "scores of patriotic Americans of both parties who are highly critical of his handling of the
Department of Defense."

Rep. John Murtha (news, bio, voting record), the hawkish Pennsylvania Democrat who voted in favor of the war but recently called for troops to withdraw, said in a statement: "It's interesting to me that they generalize the support for the war. They're not realistic with the fact that there's no progress."

Sen. Christopher Dodd (news, bio, voting record), D-Conn., chimed in that Rumsfeld's remarks were trying to "shoot the messenger" rather than examine failed policy.

[Scrum]

[JaJae]

It's always interesting to see the types of people who take offense to statements like these.

[IminWonderland]

Originally Posted by JaJae

It's always interesting to see the types of people who take offense to statements like these.

And even more the types that aren't 'ing the same statement as well.

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by IminWonderland

And even more the types that aren't 'ing the same statement as well.

Well it isn't PC and I don't have the entire soundbite..

But look at the images that came out of Lebanon. Go to Democratic Underground, Air America or hell even moveon.org and you'll see a huge bias in the slant of what their media has been feeding us. While not having both sides of the story is bad, believing everything you see or hear from the region also has its faults. It's a growing trend among our extreme sides to take the rhetoric that best fits their agenda or desires, and in this country a lot of it is coming from their middle easteners.

All I think he's trying to say is that he's upset that the terrorists have managed to spread their message through our media to give our people the terrorist sympathizer mentality we have growing in America. While it may not have been the nicest thing to say, I must say I kind of agree.

It also troubles me that some Americans are buying into the crap the terrorists want you to think and that our media is publishing their forged photos and increased body counts without reporting that it's highly unlikely or that all of these forgeries even exist. If we didn't have the internet blogs, we'd never know of these things and take the information at face value. Most Americans aren't privy to political blogs and don't realize Hezbollah, Lebanon, et al are misleading our media and that they are blinding airing it to the American population.

[7960]

Originally Posted by JaJae

Most Americans aren't privy to political blogs and don't realize Hezbollah, Lebanon, et al are misleading our media and that they are blinding airing it to the American population.

Rumsfeld is right, of course, but his comments will be marginalized by people who disagree.

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by 7960

Rumsfeld is right, of course, but his comments will be marginalized by people who disagree.

His comments don't seem as "direct" as the story implies:

Originally Posted by Donald Rumsfeld

What bothers me the most is how clever the enemy is. They are actively manipulating the media in this country.
...
The enemy lies constantly — almost totally without penalty. They portray our cause as a war on Islam when in fact the overwhelming majority of victims of their terrorism have been the thousands and thousands of innocent Muslims — men, women and children — that they have killed.
....
The enemy is so much better at communicating. I wish we were better at countering that because the constant drumbeat of things they say — all of which are not true — is harmful. It's cumulative. And it does weaken people's will and lessen their determination, and raise questions in their minds as to whether the cost is worth it.

It's kind of hard not to agree with what he's saying. Even if you don't support the war. It's not like he's saying something completely radical here as the article is leading you to believe.

[Donkey®]

Yes because republicans and the United States/Israel NEVER use the media to parlay the stories as they see it.

[phreak]

Originally Posted by Scrumtralecent

you obviously didn't read or understand the article.

[PetriW]

Originally Posted by Donkey®

Yes because republicans and the United States/Israel NEVER use the media to parlay the stories as they see it.

Exactly.

Anyway, everyone is guilty of this really. You just have to try stay informed and see through the bs.

[7960]

Originally Posted by JaJae

His comments don't seem as "direct" as the story implies:

It's kind of hard not to agree with what he's saying. Even if you don't support the war. It's not like he's saying something completely radical here as the article is leading you to believe.

Are you disagreeing with me? I said rumsfeld was right but his comments will be marginalized....I believe you agreed with me that he's right, and we're already seeing his comments disregarded even just in this thread.

I'm so confused

[7960]

Originally Posted by Donkey®

Yes because republicans and the United States/Israel NEVER use the media to parlay the stories as they see it.

I believe you meant to say "politicians." They all do it.


Are you saying rumsfeld is wrong?

[Scrum]

Rummy is throwing up more shadows as an excuse on why nobody likes him, his bosses and their war.

The answers lie within Rummy. Try looking there.

[Stylerod]

He is right. I don't see anyone here who has said he isn't. But if Rummy said the sky is blue people would argue about it. It's the messenger, not the message.

[Scrum]

Or maybe Rummy is wrong and it's better if we hear both sides.

I suppose this will come down to people who think we can do no wrong vs. people who think we can.

[7960]

Originally Posted by Scrumtralecent

Or maybe Rummy is wrong and it's better if we hear both sides.

I suppose this will come down to people who think we can do no wrong vs. people who think we can.

this is what he said (again)

Originally Posted by rumsfeld=

What bothers me the most is how clever the enemy is. They are actively manipulating the media in this country.
...
The enemy lies constantly — almost totally without penalty. They portray our cause as a war on Islam when in fact the overwhelming majority of victims of their terrorism have been the thousands and thousands of innocent Muslims — men, women and children — that they have killed.
....
The enemy is so much better at communicating. I wish we were better at countering that because the constant drumbeat of things they say — all of which are not true — is harmful. It's cumulative. And it does weaken people's will and lessen their determination, and raise questions in their minds as to whether the cost is worth it.

Tell me what he said that's wrong or has anything to do with us v. them.

[Stylerod]

Originally Posted by Scrumtralecent

Or maybe Rummy is wrong and it's better if we hear both sides.

I suppose this will come down to people who think we can do no wrong vs. people who think we can.

We can do wrong. Also, the terrorists are great at feeding the media lies that the media gobbles up.



Look, I can do both!!!

[Scrum]

Originally Posted by 7960

this is what he said (again)
Tell me what he said that's wrong or has anything to do with us v. them.

How about since you are supporting his statements, you prove how he is right?

[Scrum]

Originally Posted by Stylerod

We can do wrong. Also, the terrorists are great at feeding the media lies that the media gobbles up.

So is Isreal. Lets see some instances of this and we'll discuss those. This garbage about how terrorists are manipulating the media is just more of the same garbage from them. Anyone who doesn't agree with them is a terrorist, a sympathizer or being controlled by them.