Rumsfeld 'What Did Not Happen' Memo Declassified (what a disgrace he is)

Anarchy, civilian casualties and terrorism... just some of the things that DIDN'T happen in Iraq (according to Rumsfeld memo)

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Red faced: Former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ordered the 'what did not happen' memo drawn up in 2004, just as the Iraq War escalated
If ever a man could be accused of tempting fate, it would have to be Donald Rumsfeld. In mid-2004, after U.S forces had been fighting in Iraq for just over a year, the then Defense Secretary ordered the Pentagon to draw up a list of potential catastrophes that had been avoided


The document - dubbed the 'What did not happen' memo - was drawn up to make the embattled politician feel better. But officials found they had spoken too soon after they all started to happen.

Seven years later, the now de-classified document - obtained by American journalists using Freedom of Information laws - reads like a shopping-list of the calamities that befell the oil-rich middle-Eastern country after the U.S.-led invasion. It outlines 29 eventualities that Pentagon officials had apparently planned for, but which had not yet happened-like Saddam uses WMD against U.S. or allied forces'.

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But it also listed ten things that did eventually happen, and for which the invasion forces were clearly not prepared, including:

1-Iraq descends into anarchy; 2-Iraq becomes Balkanized; 3- There are mass Iraqi casualties; 4- The oil infrastructure is severely damaged or destroyed; 5-Disruption of oil production causes widespread economic problems; 6- Another state (e.g. North Korea) takes advantage of U.S. focus on Iraq; 7- There is widespread vigilante justice; 8- Shi'a holy sites are damaged or destroyed; 9- A revolt of the 'Arab street' in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, or Jordan causes political instability; 10- There is a dramatic surge in terrorist recruitment

Rumsfeld commissioned the memo in July 2004, just over a year after the initial invasion and four months after the lynching of four Blackwater mercenaries in Fallujah marked the beginning of a bloody insurgency. The memo emerged after Rumsfeld asked the Defense Department for a declassified version of the memo, along with thousands of others, to help prepare a memoir of his time in the White House.

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk... z1JLOJqAfj

You'll have to go to the main article to read the rest but I think you got the picture of the death and destruction that came afterwards. No need for the pics/vids etc.

Well, any respect I may have had for the man, is lost now. What a total failure he has turned out to be. I am beginning to think that there maybe more to the whole conspiracy theory theme of him being involved in this for other reason than the USA.

Well, more evidence. but nothing will come of it. He'll be protected-unless we take to the streets...

reply to post by anon72


nice post. Ol' rummy should have been strung up right next to Saddam. he was a smug >SNIP< the whole time he was in office and now we have to watch as he tours the country making bank off his memoirs? he goes on the daily show and gets an emotional BJ from jon stewart? he's treated like royalty. so no, nothing will come of this, but we cannot allow history to remember these bastards as heroes. they want the book to say "rummy, bush and cheney saved the middle east!" not "a bunch of crooks conspired to steal the oil and (re)construction contracts from a poor, defenseless little country no one really cared about."

reply to post by RicoMarston


I hate to say it but I think I am thinking along these lines (that you posted).

I am going to do some checking up on him/statements and events. Now with some more info and insight into what really was going on, I am sure there will be more to come up!

reply to post by anon72


yeah, I remember how angry he made me back when he was in office and all of this stuff was going down. I'm sure a little digging into the past, knowing what we've learned in the intervening decade, will uncover some golden oldies from the bushwhacked admin! now, if only we could convince Obama to bring war crimes charges against these... oh wait, he's one of them now.

Legitimite concerns, I must say. All out war could have been worse.

reply to post by RicoMarston


And in what court would they be tried for war crimes? Did you know that Bush unsigned the US from the International Criminal Court?

What's wrong with all out war? At least that way we could have had it over and done in what, 2 years, and we could have avoided having to do that whole pointless "co-alition thing". Why not just use all-out warfare and not have to worry about all that "hearts and minds crap" Iraq hates us as much now as they ever did. France hates us now as much as they ever did. Australia hates us as much now as they ever did. Great Britian hates us now as much as they ever did. Canada hates us as much now as thjey ever did. IF we'd gone witth all out war, that would have had come from Congress and at least they'd have something to put on they're resumes for the last twenty years. All out war IS they wat ro go, it's so much more economical and efficient. Pick a country, I suggest Saudi Arabia or Iran for starters, Declare War on them. Annihilate them. Problem solved.

Yes, Mr. Rumsfeld, "stuff happens", as you so eloquently put it early on in the war. Maybe with this list you were just trying to count up your "known knowns" by 2004.

I'm not sure if Pres Bush put you as Defense Secretary because he knew what Nixon called you, or he didn't know what Nixon called you: "He's a ruthless little bastard. You can be sure of that." Either way, you sure done us wrong in Iraq.

In April 2004 Pres Bush couldn't come up with any mistakes he'd made when asked the question. Maybe if you had done that memo two months sooner and shared it with him, you'ld have saved your boss from an embarrassing moment. Of course, you'll never admit your mistakes. And that should be embarrassing, but you'll just find some smart ass answer to gloss over this whole terrible debacle. Probably something like "Read my book." Ruthless little bastard, indeed.

reply to post by desert


YES! Yes indeed.

Well stated my friend.

STAR (flag if I could).