The Truffle

Yes, before he quit, Rumsfeld sent Bush a memo regarding possible solutions to Situation FUBAR. It is supposed to be a very interesting document, and one that has war critics grinning from ear to ear. In the memo, first reported Saturday by The New York Times on its Web site and titled "Illustrative New Courses of Action," Rumsfeld describes a "range of options" for the White House to consider. Many of them involve sharply drawing down U.S. troop presence in Iraq by mid-2007. "Recast the U.S. military mission and the U.S. goals (how we talk about them) -- go minimalist," Rumsfeld suggested. For instance, he proposed an accelerated shuttering or consolidation of most U.S. military bases in Iraq. "We have already reduced from 110 to 55 bases," he wrote. "Plan to get down to 10 to 15 bases by April 2007, and to 5 bases by July 2007." Another option: withdrawing U.S. forces from vulnerable positions, such as cities and patrols, and movin...

Here's the Rummy-Saddam handshake! I'm sure that Rummy, in his retirement, would prefer not to dwell on certain embarassing aspects of his political career. Which means he'll try not to think about his career at all. Meanwhile, Karen Kwiatkowski weighs in on his legacy. At this point, analyzing his handling of the Iraq war is like using a machete on a pinata, but this article is a must read.