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"...even the wicked get worse than they deserve." - Willa Cather, One of Ours

Sunday, May 16, 2004

Rumsfeld Wins Huge Bureaucratic Battle!

DoD Press Release
New Commands in Iraq to Replace Combined Joint Task Force
WASHINGTON, May 14, 2004 - Two new military commands will stand up in Iraq May 15, replacing the current coalition military organization.

Multinational Corps Iraq and Multinational Force Iraq will replace Combined Joint Task Force 7.

Coalition military spokesman Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, at a Baghdad news conference today, said the change addresses a concern that a combined joint task force headquarters was not sufficient to handle the military workload in Iraq efficiently.

"It's certainly more than a formality," he said. "It is trying to get the proper command structure for the days, weeks and months ahead."

Kimmitt explained that Multinational Corps Iraq will focus on the tactical fight -- the day-to-day military operations and the maneuvering of the six multinational divisions on the ground. Army Lt. Gen. Thomas F. Metz will command the corps. Meanwhile, Multinational Force Iraq will focus on more strategic aspects of the military presence in Iraq, such as talking with sheiks and political leaders, and on training, equipping and fielding Iraqi security forces.

Multinational Force Iraq "will certainly be involved in the tactical operations, but only to the extent that they have somewhat of an operational and strategic impact on this country," Kimmitt said. Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, current CJTF 7 commander who will head MNF Iraq, already has been working the strategic issues, and the new command structure will enable him to focus more of his time and energy in that direction, Kimmitt said.
All I can say is: Wow! This is a HUGE victory for Rumsfeld.

This is also a tremendous blow to Secretary Powell and the moderates at the State Department. The original plan was that on June 30th the State Department would take over from DoD. Bremer (a guy running the CPA, a DoD organization) would leave and Ambassador Negroponte would take over. Also Gen. Sanchez would change hats from CJTF-7 (commander of all allied forces in Iraq) to CMNFI (Commander Multi-National Force Iraq) with the same responsibilities. Now this transfer of authority is hollow.

Under this new plan all military forces will not be transferred to State's control. Sanchez will only control security and reconstruction planning and liaison forces training the new Iraqi Army, police and civil defense. He will also assist Negroponte with political negotiations with local leaders. All military and intelligence forces (Army, Marines, Air Force, Navy and Special Forces) are being cut out from under Sanchez, and they will be given to Lt Gen Metz, the commander of the newly created MNCI (Multi-National Corps Iraq) who is still under Rumsfeld's command. They will operate under completely separate chains of command. By losing his military command, this is basically a lateral demotion for Sanchez.

How is this different from what exists now? For example, Fallujah would have ended quite differently if the new command structure was in place a month ago. In Fallujah the local commander was able to negotiate a political resolution by creating a local militia under the control of the Baathists. After June 30th this would be impossible. The local commander under MNCI would only be able to make military decisions. Political decisions such as creating a new militia in Fallujah would remain with the MNFI. And conversely Sanchez/Negroponte would not be able to order a military attack on Fallujah because those forces would no longer be under his command and control.

This will significantly weaken the bargaining position of Negroponte because he can’t promise the military will do what he wants, and the local political leaders will know this. All policy conflicts between State and DoD could not be resolved by local commanders but would have to be kicked up to the National Security Council level where Rumsfeld controls the playing field (i.e. Powell hasn’t won any of these fights yet).

This also ensures that Sanchez, a General under DoD command, will have an integral part in decisions that are made concerning reconstruction and political matters in the new Iraq. This increases the DoD footprint on the political side, as well.

Another brilliant part of this are the names of these two commands: Multinational Force Iraq & Multinational Corps Iraq. This makes it seem like the plan is the same as before, since most reporters and almost all the public won't understand the difference between the two. I mean, they sound the same, don't they? Someone thought real hard about these names.

During a week in which he was being crucified in the press, he was winning one of the biggest and most important bureaucratic battles that Washington has ever seen. Rumsfeld is by far the best political infighter I have ever seen.

via Belmont Club
Posted by: Zayphar / 5/16/2004 03:48:00 PM
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