Silly Thinking

ST1on1 with Connie Chung.

CC: Hello, I’m Connie Chung, and this is 1 on 1 on Silly Thinking.
We will get to our exclusive one on one interview with Donald Rumsfeld in a few minutes. But first:

The furor over the photographs of Iraqi prisoners being abused by American troops in Sadaam’s former torture chamber prison is creating a firestorm of controversy.
As the story broke we found that many of the prisoners were being “questioned” by American contractors as well as troops.
Kelly Bright is in Iraq with the troops, we have her on our LIVELINE now.
Good afternoon Kelly, it’s Connie Chung in New York.


KB: I know who you are.


CC: Good. Kelly, have you witnessed any of the abuse we have seen in these disturbing photos?


KB: Connie, I have been present when some Iraqi’s have been captured and questioned, some of them look less than human, and they say the most horrible things. It really gets your blood boiling, I’ll tell you.


CC: Have you seen any abuse?


KB: When our brave handsome boys and beautiful women capture these vermin sometimes they are angry and upset, and sometimes they are a little tough on these inhuman beasts. Sometimes, it’s not like New York you know, and when they hurl one of these vermin into a cell and kick them and demand answers and tie them, tie them up and gag them, yeah gag them, so they are helpless, and make them urinate on the wall…..


CC: We have lost our liveline with Kelly. We will keep you updated on this story which threatens to cripple our position in Iraq.
Now my interview with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Good afternoon Mister Secretary.


DR: Ha ha. Good morning Connie, hi everyone.


CC: Mister Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, do you have any comments on this story of torture by the Americans?


DR: ALLEGED TORTURE Connie. Alleged, but no. Look, of course I denounce the act of these few soldiers and contractors. I mean…. look, it’s easy to sit here in the United States and comment on their actions. But when your there, in the heat and your being shot at, I mean,… look, I, I think the press ought to look at the good things were doing there as well. Maybe the headlines could read something like: AMERICA MAKING FRIENDS IN IRAQ, or PROGRESS ON THE WAR ON TERROR. Instead of leading with these stories of a few bad apples.


CC: Mister Secretary of Defense are you saying we shouldn’t report this story?


DR: Ha ha...no. I didn’t say that, but I’m sure it gives comfort to the enemy.


CC: When we went into Iraq you wanted, and got, a limited number of troops and said at the time that this would be sufficient. Now it seems that more troops were needed. Were you wrong?


DR: Ha ha. Yeah, I knew you’d get to this question. Look, the answer to your question is “NO”. I was not wrong. It was sound policy then and it’s sound policy now. A small percentage of the troops have been held over and are proudly serving their country in Iraq still. To question these troops is like saying they are doing a bad job. I think these young men and women are fantastic. I don’t agree with you that they are inferior, or not up to the task. These people over there, are doing a great job for freedom. They are making us safer. To question them is… well it’s just wrong.


CC: I didn’t question the troops competency. I was asking if your policy….


DR: Ha ha. You didn’t say that did you?


CC: No.


DR: Ha ha. You never questioned these proud boys and girls. Gee, it sounded that way to me. I’m sorry. I was just answering your question.


CC: Secretary Rumsfeld, Ted Kennedy asserts that Iraq is turning into Viet Nam, a quagmire. What do you say to that allegation?


DR: Look, ha ha. Senator Kennedy makes those statements on the floor of the Senate and it hurts our troops. These proud men and women that are doing a hard job. I mean they are fighting and dieing over there. And no, I don’t think it’s Viet Nam. We will hand over the country to a democratically selected provisional, sovereign government in less than two months. I mean, ha ha, look, we will stay for some security needs and to advise the Democratic Iraqi Government troops, but did we just have advisers in Viet Nam?


CC: Well, yeS--


DR: Ha ha. NO. Why don’t you make that your headline. It could read, “DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT APPOINTED” or “AMERICA SUPPORTS OUR TROOPS”.


CC: Donald Rumsfeld, a year ago the President declared “Mission Accomplished” in Iraq. Here we are a year later with more troops dieing and battles raging. How could he have been so wrong?


DR: Ha ha. Well first of all that sign on the carrier was not put up there by me. It was placed by some people that work under me. Second, ha ha, no, the President said that “That Mission was Accomplished”. That mission was defeating Sadaam Hussein. And we did defeat a bad man. he’s gone, he was an evil terror dictator and he’s no longer in power, and that’s a good thing. We did a good thing. Now the media wants to paint us as wrong. Wants to say we didn’t complete our mission. But we support our brave men and women in Iraq and we think we were right for defeating Saddam. I mean, look, put that on the front page. The headline could read: SADAAM TERROR ENDED or AMERICA ENDS TERROR IN IRAQ, instead of continually showing all the bad things and questioning our troops. I mean, look, can you imagine what it’s like to be in Iraq, an American soldier, and keep reading and seeing that Senator Kennedy and Connie Chung don’t think your competent? That Connie Chung said on Silly Thinking that she thought you were bad at your job. It would be painful.


CC: Well I never said that, but we are out of time. Thank you Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.


DR: Ha ha. Your doing a great job here Connie. Thank you.


CC: What?


DR: Ha ha.

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STIS!