ForteCash

Rumsfeld To Iraq Critics: ?This Is Complicated Stuff?So You Just Ought To Back Off,' ?Relax'

Think Progress | October 26, 2006

At his news conference yesterday, President Bush repeatedly mentioned ?benchmarks? for progress in Iraq, using the word 13 times . ?But he did not discuss the consequences of the Iraqi government missing those targets . Such a question, he said, was ?hypothetical.'?

At the Pentagon press conference this afternoon, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was asked what would happen if the Iraqi government failed to meet the ? benchmarks .? Rumsfeld first responded that ?it is not complicated,? but just seconds later said, ?This is complicated stuff. It's difficult. We're looking out into the future. No one can predict the future with absolute certainty.? He added, ?So you ought to just back off, take a look at it, relax, understand that it's complicated, it's difficult.?

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Transcript:

QUESTION: Sir, what I don't understand about the benchmark plan ? if we can call it that ? is what happens if and when the Iraqi government fails to meet the timelines, projections, whatever you want to call them, for some of the major benchmarks?

I mean, we've been told that they're not given ultimatums, but we've also been told by the president in recent days that U.S. patience is not unlimited.

But I don't understand. There must be consequences or responses built into this plan. Can you address that at all?

RUMSFELD: Well, it's a political season. And everyone's trying to make a little mischief out of this, and make ? turn it into a political football, and see if we can't get it on the front page of every newspaper and find a little daylight between what the Iraqis say or someone in the United States says or somebody else in the United States says.

And it is not complicated. I've explained it two or three times. The president did an excellent job of explaining it yesterday.

And the situation is this. It is that the United States, in the persons of our ambassador and the Embassy and General Casey and his team, have been, over a period of time, in continuous discussions with the Iraqi government at various levels. And they've been discussing the way forward through the rest of this year and next year. That's a perfectly logical thing for them to do.

[?]

Now, you're looking for some sort of a guillotine to come falling down if some date isn't met. That is not what this is about.
This is complicated stuff. It's difficult. We're looking out into the future. No one can predict the future with absolute certainty.

So you ought to just back off, take a look at it, relax, understand that it's complicated, it's difficult. Honorable people are working on these things together. There isn't any daylight between them. They'll be discussing this and discussing that. They may have a change there, a change here. But it'll get worked out.

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StuartD

Translation: "Please stop thinking... we like it better when you don't. Just let us do what ever the hell we want."

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ForteCash

yup

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dennisthemenace

Back off you big fat stupid heads..

His response combined with the facial gems Bush gives when asked a question make me feel like we're being led by 3rd graders.

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All the best to you

ForteCash

3rd graders capable of mass murder, with the funding and backing of the American people

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Splum

ForteCash thank you for helping me make up my mind.
Nice that you cut and paste propaganda from a left wing socialist liberal terrorist organization.

Webby

Is there a problem reading the transcript of a dialog with Rumsfeld and the press? Are you claiming the transcript is untrue? Irrespective of the source, where exactly is the propaganda in that report?

Tut tut - the usual labels "left wing socialist liberal terrorist organization", - however, they are not in power. If you instist on labels, a right wing facist terrorist organization is in power - that is the current problem. Try and address it and keep on the subject.

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XXX TLD's - Another mosquito to swat.

ryuken

This goverment sucks. It really does.

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So much for lurking...

Splum

Are you saying that ThinkProgress is not a liberal socialist left wing organization? Come the fuck off of it Webby its fucking obvious as hell. Look you dont see me here pasting shit from right wing fascist organizations do you?

Rule #1 in true debate:
QUOTE A FUCKING REPUTABLE SOURCE AND QUOTE THEM BASED ON NEWS FACTS NOT FUCKING OPINION AND COMMENTARY.

pocketkangaroo

I don't know anything about ThinkProgress besides the fact that I usually don't trust much of those right or left wing blog type sites. But this looks to be a transcript of his press conference. You can find it on a lot of reputable news sources.

StuartD

So a direct transcript of actual statements is only worth listening to if they're posted on a reputable source?

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Webby

The subject is Rumsfeld's interview with the press - not an analysis of ThinkProgress or any other media. Are you disputing the article in any way?

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XXX TLD's - Another mosquito to swat.

pocketkangaroo

Heres a source you'll be happier with that says pretty much the same thing:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,225861,00.html

geejay

The reputable source is Rumsfield himself.

Splum

Yes. Note the first paragraph of Osama Bin ForteCash's cut and paste job.

Splum

Much better.

StuartD

No wonder you never seem to know what you're talking about.

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