Feigned fleeing or farciful forestalling?

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Simply: It was by the device of Saruman that Sauron was driven out of Dol Guldur. He deserves the credit, I think we can imagine it the way that had not Saruman been present, Sauron would have remained in Dol Guldur. Is what I have in mind clear enough from what I say? Had Sauron not been driven out of Dol Guldur, he would have caused mischief in Mirkwood all the time. This way, we can guess his forces in the North were largely diminished and also, during the Watchful Peace he could not cause more mischief in the North.

I'm questioning not your replies, but the original text itself and how I'm reading it, which may be a completely distorted thing.

Hmm, I think you are maybe getting a bit confused from some of the talk here (or I am confused about you). There was no "Army of the White Council" as an existing executive unit, the Council were, as you surely know, the "Wise" like Saruman, Gandalf, Galadriel, Elrond etc. and that was all.

Sorry; I was being facetious regarding the 'Grand Army of the Republic.'

All the military power they had at their disposition were the native people of the realms they ruled (or eventually, some allies they could ask). This is why I am inclined to think that for example some Elves from Lothlórien may have aided the strike against Dol Guldur. But not much else. There was no reason for the Elves of Lórien, otherwise rather withdrawn and remaining inside their borders, to go all the length of the world into the Battle of the Five Armies, which did not concern them at all.

I guess that Thranduil found easier picking North than South, and when later Legolas recounts the escape of Gollum and about how his folk do not tread too closely to Dol Guldur, we get more of the picture.

Okay, so I'm punting. What grand stratagem or device does anyone think Saruman discovered that aided in the fumigating of the Necromancer's abode?