TO: Sauron
FROM: Saruman the White
SUBJECT: War of the Ring
The questions I posed to my Uruk Hai commanders this week were: Are we winning or losing the War of the Ringr? Is Mordor changing fast enough to deal with the Third Age?
We have been organized, trained and equipped to fight big Elf or Human armies, not small fellowships of furry-footed creatures. It is not possible to change fast enough to successfully fight a global war on both the Elves and Gondor; an alternative might be to try to fashion a new institution, either within Mordor or elsewhere (preferably in Orthanc) one that would seamlessly focus the capabilities of several departments and really ugly monsters on this key problem.
With respect to the War, the record since September 11th seems to be:
We are having mixed results with the Halflings, although we have put considerable pressure on them nonetheless, four of them remain at large.
Orthanc has made reasonable progress in capturing Gandalf the Grey.
Orthanc has made somewhat slower progress tracking down Aragorn and the One Ring.
With respect to the Rohan, we are just getting started.
Have we fashioned the right mix of rewards, amnesty, protection and confidence in Mordor?
Do we need to think through new ways to organize, train, equip and focus to deal with the War?
Are the changes we have and are making too modest and incremental? My impression is that we have not yet made truly bold moves, although we have have made many sensible, logical moves in the right direction, but are they enough? A large assault on Gondor might be advisable.
Today, we lack gnometrics to know if we are winning or losing the War. Are we capturing, killing or deterring and dissuading more foes every day than that Elf bitch in Lorien and the radical school in Rivendell are recruiting, training and deploying against us?
Does Mordor need to fashion a broad, integrated plan to stop the next generation of foes? We are putting relatively little effort into a long-range plan, but we are putting a great deal of effort into trying to stop enemies. The cost-benefit ratio is against us! Our cost is billions of Orcs against the Elves' costs of a fellowship of nine.
Do we need a new organization?
How do we stop those who are financing the radical school of Rivendell?
Is our current situation such that "the harder we work, the behinder we get"?
It is pretty clear that Mordor can win in Gondor and Rohan in one way or another, but it will be a long, hard slog.
Does Shelob need a new lair?
Should we create a private foundation to entice Elves to a more moderate course?
What else should we be considering?
Please let's discuss this at our meeting on the 13th of Ivanneth.