[Skybird]

Point his: his new ideas failed with flying colours.

Zinni is no unknown in Germany, some of his essays he has published in American newspapers, have been translated for German ones as well. For a military he is a very unorthodox and flexible thinker, I got the impression, and far from being prisoner to old dogmas. I also got the impression that he knows what he is talking about. Rumsfeld's ideas were a parade of overhyped optimism lacking sense of realism. Like the intel community once thought that electronics and satellites could replace manpower (agents) on the ground, he thought technology could compensate for lacking numbers. He wanted to have an army that with the same ressources and manpower is capable of doing so much more to fulfill the neocon's goals for a new American world. I also think he is a cynic towards the fates of those he commands, John Smith and Betty Brown on the ground. Political responsebility? The only thing that could happen to him is that he gets fired, with a nice pension and no sorrows at all. It is the others that have to risk their lives, and bear the real responsebility.

Such guys make me sick. Giving commands, but not taking care that these commands decide over life and death of those they command. One could be cautionous a general, and still act aggressively. Rumsfeld only does the latter, but has no mind to understand the first. No balance, no stand, no team spirit. Court martial him. At least then he would face his responsebility. Bloody damn #?&%§$?...!!!

I cannot imagine how anyone could perform worse than Rumsfeld did. All vital assessements he made - were wrong. You cannot get a score below zero, so to replace him holds little risks, but only promises for things getting better - no guarantee, but a chance. If he is not replaced, then it is because of the upcoming internal elections. His replacement would signal some kind of imperfection of the Republicans, that they fear would be interpreted as "weakness".