This is What a Leader Does Folks

As many of you have undoubtedly read by now Donald Rumsfeld wrote a memo to his subordinates about the War on Terror. Said memo was subsequently "leaked" by someone to the press, and the press are pretty much going orgasmic over what it was Rumsfeld said. Below is the actual memo itself, and below that will be my analysis of it. Read and enjoy:

October 16, 2003
TO: Gen. Dick Myers
Paul Wolfowitz
Gen. Pete Pace
Doug Feith

FROM: Donald Rumsfeld

SUBJECT: Global War on Terrorism

The questions I posed to combatant commanders this week were: Are we winning or losing the Global War on Terror? Is DoD changing fast enough to deal with the new 21st century security environment? Can a big institution change fast enough? Is the USG changing fast enough?

DoD has been organized, trained and equipped to fight big armies, navies and air forces. It is not possible to change DoD fast enough to successfully fight the global war on terror; an alternative might be to try to fashion a new institution, either within DoD or elsewhere — one that seamlessly focuses the capabilities of several departments and agencies on this key problem.

With respect to global terrorism, the record since Septermber 11th seems to be:

We are having mixed results with Al Qaida, although we have put considerable pressure on them — nonetheless, a great many remain at large.

USG has made reasonable progress in capturing or killing the top 55 Iraqis.

USG has made somewhat slower progress tracking down the Taliban — Omar, Hekmatyar, etc.

With respect to the Ansar Al-Islam, we are just getting started.

Have we fashioned the right mix of rewards, amnesty, protection and confidence in the US?

Does DoD need to think through new ways to organize, train, equip and focus to deal with the global war on terror?

Are the changes we have and are making too modest and incremental? My impression is that we have not yet made truly bold moves, although we have have made many sensible, logical moves in the right direction, but are they enough?

Today, we lack metrics to know if we are winning or losing the global war on terror. Are we capturing, killing or deterring and dissuading more terrorists every day than the madrassas and the radical clerics are recruiting, training and deploying against us?

Does the US need to fashion a broad, integrated plan to stop the next generation of terrorists? The US is putting relatively little effort into a long-range plan, but we are putting a great deal of effort into trying to stop terrorists. The cost-benefit ratio is against us! Our cost is billions against the terrorists' costs of millions.

Do we need a new organization?

How do we stop those who are financing the radical madrassa schools?

Is our current situation such that "the harder we work, the behinder we get"?

It is pretty clear that the coalition can win in Afghanistan and Iraq in one way or another, but it will be a long, hard slog.

Does CIA need a new finding?

Should we create a private foundation to entice radical madradssas to a more moderate course?

What else should we be considering?

Please be prepared to discuss this at our meeting on Saturday or Monday.

Thanks.

First off, the thing that really sticks out to me is that Rumsfeld is actually asking for the opinions of his subordinates, which is a sure sign he is growing complacent in the War against Global Terrorism (for those of you who do not know me, yes that was sarcasm). Leaders constantly ask the following questions; Are we doing enough? Are we actually winning the battle? Do we have the tools to win? Etc.. The SecDef is a leader folks, for the first time since the days of Caspar Weinberger we have a leader as SecDef. Rumsfeld questions prove the man isn't complacent, they prove he is looking for other ways to win the war, proof that the man is in fact a leader.

Rumsfeld is a politician, true. Politicians like to keep their options open, also true. However, I see no indication that this memo is an actually anything of those things. I see it has an admission that this man isn't afraid to ask the tough questions and demand answers to those questions. Critical self-examination of one's self and one's policies is paramount to a man in Rumsfeld's position, the memo proves to me Rumsfeld isn't afraid of self-analysis. In other words, the memo shows know signs that Rumsfeld isn't growing complacent. He wants to war to move forward. He wants to win it, and win it decisively. He wants to make sure we have all the right tools to win it.

They say Bush was the right man, at the right time, in the right place. The same could be said for Donald Rumsfeld. And thank G-d for that.

Hat Tip: Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler