By Rumsfeld's Standards, Mission Accomplished

By Al Kamen
Monday, March 27, 2006

P resident Bush 's comment last week that U.S. troops would be in Iraq three more years provoked some consternation. Bush had always said the troops would be there until "the job is done and not a day longer," but few assumed that the troops would remain through his presidency.

Actually, Bush is being way too pessimistic. On April 9, 2003, three weeks after the invasion of Iraq, Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld clearly set out the 10 objectives to be achieved "before victory can be declared."

· "Baghdad is in the process of being liberated" and the Hussein regime must be run out of there and other cities, he said. Check -- been run out of just about everywhere at least once.

· "We still must capture [or] account for . . . Saddam Hussein and his sons and the senior Iraqi leadership." Check.

· "We still must find and ensure the safe return of prisoners of war . . . in this war as well as any still held from the last Gulf War." Check -- save for one missing soldier.

· "We still must secure the northern oil fields." Check -- although the pipelines keep getting hit.

· "We still need to find and secure Iraq's weapons of mass destruction facilities. . . ." Check -- they are tightly secured.

· ". . . and secure Iraq's borders so we can prevent the flow of weapons of mass destruction materials and senior regime officials out of the country." Check -- no outward flow.

· "We need to locate Iraqi scientists with knowledge of these programs." Check.

· "We must also capture or kill the terrorists still operating in Iraq and prevent them from gaining access to weapons of mass destruction." Check -- at least for those there in '03 and none are getting access to that WMD.

· "We must locate Baath Party members, records and weapons caches," records of elite intelligence and military units and regime millions outside the country. Check.

· "And we must begin the process of working with free Iraqis . . . and those returning home from exile, to establish an Iraqi interim authority and help to pave the way for a new Iraqi government." Check -- done that several times now.

Chavez on the Lookout for Immigrants

President Bush also pushed last week for his guest worker proposal to allow millions of illegal immigrants to continue working in this country.

There was a fine photo of Bush meeting Thursday with friendly groups about the issue. And there, sitting at Bush's right hand, was none other than Linda Chavez , who heads something called the Center for Equal Opportunity.

Chavez, Loop Fans may recall, was Bush's first nominee to be secretary of labor in 2001. Her nomination was scuttled when it was discovered she hadn't been forthcoming to them about her interesting relationship with an illegal immigrant living in her home who was doing generally unpaid housework for her.

She probably knows as much as anyone about working guests.

Maybe They Should've Called Rent-a-Cop

Mark the date! The Democratic leadership will be at Union Station on Wednesday at 1 p.m. to announce its "national security policy."

Top Senate Democrat Harry M. Reid (Nev.) will be there, as will House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), lots of other congressional types, and governors and mayors.

But there's a need for uniformed folks because "they symbolize safety, competence, and security to average Americans," former longtime Senate aide and now private consultant Stephanie Cutter said in an e-mail Friday to Andrea Mournighan of the National Association of Police Organizations.

"We would like . . . as many law enforcement officers as possible to attend and stand on stage," Cutter said. "Would it be possible to have 20 or so. . . . ?"

"We are committing to make implementation of the 9-11 [commission] recommendations our first act when Democrats regain control of the Senate and/or House," Cutter wrote.

But mum's the word. "We're trying to keep our roll-out a close hold for now, so press doesn't pick up on it. The element of surprise is everything these days!"

Okay. You can count on us!

Bushes Keep It All in the Family

A Friday item incorrectly said former first lady Barbara Bush 's contribution to Katrina refugees in Houston -- which she designated must be spent at her son Neil Bush 's educational software company -- went to the national Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund. It went to a local Bush-Clinton Houston Hurricane Relief Fund, a separate organization.