News In Brief 5 December 2005

Rumsfeld Blames Contractor, If Media Plant Stories True, But Defends Outsourcing Program

Says "Still Gathering Facts"; If It Turns Out Positive, Will Be Adopted Into New 'National Victory Strategy' Plan

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld today clearly laid the fault of the placement of paid news stories in the Iraqi media at the feet of the private contractor, but did so with conditions.

In a speech, written by the Lincoln Group, at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Rumsfeld indicated that "all the facts aren't known".

On Friday, The Garlic reported that the Central Intelligence Agency was running a network of "Blue Holes", newspapers at which detainees captured in the War Against Terrorism were forced into labor.

Rumsfeld refused comment on the report and did not mention the the "Blue Holes" in his speech or comments today.

'Goodness, this just dropped on us on Friday last," said the beleaguered Secretary. "That was two-days ago … Jeekers, we have channels to go through, time zones, translation issues. It could take months to get to the root of this".

Rumsfeld clarified his remarks, saying that it "will be the contractor's fault, if we get too much negative criticism". Rumsfeld stated that "so far, we haven't heard a pip" and, if it is deemed a positive move, the practice will quickly be placed in President Bush's new "National Strategy For Victory In Iraq".

Rumsfeld also defended his, and the Bush Administration's. escalation of outsourcing military and government operations to private contractors.

"This is too much to go into here", said Rumsfeld. 'There are many issues we have to deal with in going to war and mainting our troops while in battle. We've had tremendous, tremendous success with our Outsourcing Program … Even the Iraqi media has given us high marks for it".