Michael Ledeen faults the Pentagon "which has behaved quite well on the military battlefield, but abominably in political combat, which is equally important... [T]he Pentagon should fight with the same intensity as their soldiers on the ground, instead of patiently issuing bloodless statements and quietly briefing journalists who have already filed their stories. We have trained the Iraqis to document their actions. We know that lies are only moments away. Yet the Pentagon, over and over again, is simply unable to provide a timely account of events that would make the terrorists play catch-up. Secretary Rumsfeld constantly remarks on his department's inability to communicate effectively with the public, but this is a tribute to a failure of leadership that ends on his own desk. If the people he's chosen to wage this war can't do it effectively, then let him find those who can, or turn his desk over to someone who has better ideas.
"But the media have their own burden to bear in these matters. ...in this war, information is manipulated by our enemies and initial reports are often misleading."
His column is here.
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