That’s how Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld describes the state of US government operations in the 21st century. The substance of his remarks during a speech before the Council on Foreign Relations described the considerable disadvantage facing the US in the public opinion realm compared to violent extremists who have “media relations committees.” Rumsfeld wants to transform DOD’s public affairs force from a reactive, eight-hour-day activity to a proactive 24/7 operation. Without doing so, he says, leaves the US with an “unacceptably dangerous deficiency.”
The U.S. began extensive air and artillery strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria on Dec. 19 in retaliation for the killing of three Americans on Dec. 13 by a gunman affiliated with ISIS, U.S. officials said.
