Democrats Join Calls for Rumsfeld Resignation
"My view is that the secretary should step aside," said Governor Richardson.
WASHINGTON, April 16, 2006 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Senior US Democrats joined on Sunday, April 16, a mounting campaign championed by a cohort of retired generals for embattled Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to resign over mishandling the Iraqi war.
"My view is that the secretary should step aside," New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, a potential Democratic presidential candidate, told CBS's "Face the Nation" program, reported Reuters.
"Besides the fact that the Iraq war has been mismanaged ... we should listen to what these generals are saying."
The battle of words over Rumsfeld, his relations with military leaders and the Iraq war followed unusual public calls in the past week for his resignation from six retired generals.
"These are six distinguished military officers," Richardson said. "They basically are saying that Secretary Rumsfeld, on issues relating to military strategy ... didn't listen to them."
The generals include Maj. Gen. John Batiste, who commanded the 1st Infantry Division in Iraq, and Maj. Gen. Charles Swannack, who led the Army's 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq, and former NATO commander Gen. Wesley Clark.
General Anthony Zinni, the former chairman of the US Central Command, asserted on Sunday, April 3, that several top administration officials, chiefly Rumsfeld, must loose their jobs over disastrous and strategic mistakes in Iraq.
Rumsfeld has seen his ratings in freefall over the past three years mainly due to his policies in the Arab country, including failure to provide sufficient Interceptor Body Armors (IBAs) for his troops in Iraq.
In the wake of the Abu Gharaib abuse scandal, American press reports said interrogation tactics amounting to torture were okayed by senior Pentagon officials, including Rumsfeld himself.
Scapegoat
"A lot of this focus on an individual is a way of maybe criticizing the president," said
Sen. Christopher Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat, said the critical comments from the retired generals could be considered a reflection of current senior officers not permitted to criticize Rumsfeld or Bush.
"We need a new direction in Iraq," he said.
"We're looking at some incompetency in addition to the arrogance issues that have been raised."
He recalled Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's admission that "thousands" of tactical mistakes had been made with regard to Iraq.
Republican Sen. George Allen told "Face the Nation" program the criticism of Rumsfeld amounted to "scapegoating" and that firing him would not resolve the Iraq situation.
"What difference would that make?" he asked. "Would that mean anything to the terrorists? A lot of this focus on an individual is a way of maybe criticizing the president."
US President George W. Bush's approval ratings in polls have plummeted lower than for any American leader in recent history.
A recent Zogby International poll showed that 51 percent of Americans agreed that Bush should be impeached if he lied about Iraq, a far greater percentage than believed Clinton should be impeached.
Pentagon Memo
The Pentagon had issued a memo to civilian military analysts and former top military commanders, some of whom appear often on television, to challenge criticism Rumsfeld was deaf to the views of military leaders.
"US senior military leaders are involved to an unprecedented degree in every decision-making process," it said, noting Rumsfeld had held 139 meetings with the Joint Chiefs of Staff since 2005.
Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, speaking on "Fox News Sunday," said the United States had "wiped out a lot of the people who would do us harm" during Rumsfeld's tenure.
"I think the important thing to remember here is that we haven't been attacked again at home since September of 2001," he said.
Former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Richard Myers criticized Sunday calls for Rumsfeld's resignations.
"It's inappropriate, because it's not the military that judges our civilian bosses," he told ABC television.
President Bush has personally weighed in to defend Rumsfeld.
"Secretary Rumsfeld's energetic and steady leadership is exactly what is needed at this critical period," Bush said in a statement.
"He has my full support and deepest appreciation."
Bush acknowledged for the first time last December Iraq was invaded on wrong intelligence and took the blame for the invasion-turned-occupation.
He further admitted that faulty assessments on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction damaged US credibility.
"My view is that the secretary should step aside," said Governor Richardson.
WASHINGTON, April 16, 2006 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Senior US Democrats joined on Sunday, April 16, a mounting campaign championed by a cohort of retired generals for embattled Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to resign over mishandling the Iraqi war.
"My view is that the secretary should step aside," New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, a potential Democratic presidential candidate, told CBS's "Face the Nation" program, reported Reuters.
"Besides the fact that the Iraq war has been mismanaged ... we should listen to what these generals are saying."
The battle of words over Rumsfeld, his relations with military leaders and the Iraq war followed unusual public calls in the past week for his resignation from six retired generals.
"These are six distinguished military officers," Richardson said. "They basically are saying that Secretary Rumsfeld, on issues relating to military strategy ... didn't listen to them."
The generals include Maj. Gen. John Batiste, who commanded the 1st Infantry Division in Iraq, and Maj. Gen. Charles Swannack, who led the Army's 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq, and former NATO commander Gen. Wesley Clark.
General Anthony Zinni, the former chairman of the US Central Command, asserted on Sunday, April 3, that several top administration officials, chiefly Rumsfeld, must loose their jobs over disastrous and strategic mistakes in Iraq.
Rumsfeld has seen his ratings in freefall over the past three years mainly due to his policies in the Arab country, including failure to provide sufficient Interceptor Body Armors (IBAs) for his troops in Iraq.
In the wake of the Abu Gharaib abuse scandal, American press reports said interrogation tactics amounting to torture were okayed by senior Pentagon officials, including Rumsfeld himself.
Scapegoat
"A lot of this focus on an individual is a way of maybe criticizing the president," said
Sen. Christopher Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat, said the critical comments from the retired generals could be considered a reflection of current senior officers not permitted to criticize Rumsfeld or Bush.
"We need a new direction in Iraq," he said.
"We're looking at some incompetency in addition to the arrogance issues that have been raised."
He recalled Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's admission that "thousands" of tactical mistakes had been made with regard to Iraq.
Republican Sen. George Allen told "Face the Nation" program the criticism of Rumsfeld amounted to "scapegoating" and that firing him would not resolve the Iraq situation.
"What difference would that make?" he asked. "Would that mean anything to the terrorists? A lot of this focus on an individual is a way of maybe criticizing the president."
US President George W. Bush's approval ratings in polls have plummeted lower than for any American leader in recent history.
A recent Zogby International poll showed that 51 percent of Americans agreed that Bush should be impeached if he lied about Iraq, a far greater percentage than believed Clinton should be impeached.
Pentagon Memo
The Pentagon had issued a memo to civilian military analysts and former top military commanders, some of whom appear often on television, to challenge criticism Rumsfeld was deaf to the views of military leaders.
"US senior military leaders are involved to an unprecedented degree in every decision-making process," it said, noting Rumsfeld had held 139 meetings with the Joint Chiefs of Staff since 2005.
Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, speaking on "Fox News Sunday," said the United States had "wiped out a lot of the people who would do us harm" during Rumsfeld's tenure.
"I think the important thing to remember here is that we haven't been attacked again at home since September of 2001," he said.
Former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Richard Myers criticized Sunday calls for Rumsfeld's resignations.
"It's inappropriate, because it's not the military that judges our civilian bosses," he told ABC television.
President Bush has personally weighed in to defend Rumsfeld.
"Secretary Rumsfeld's energetic and steady leadership is exactly what is needed at this critical period," Bush said in a statement.
"He has my full support and deepest appreciation."
Bush acknowledged for the first time last December Iraq was invaded on wrong intelligence and took the blame for the invasion-turned-occupation.
He further admitted that faulty assessments on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction damaged US credibility.
