Generals rally to defend Rumsfeld

Rowan Scarborough:

Several retired generals who worked with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, including a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, yesterday decried calls for the secretary's resignation from other retired officers.
President Bush repeated his support for his point man in the war against terrorists.
"I think what we see happening with retired general officers is bad for the military, bad for civil-military relations and bad for the country," retired Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs under Mr. Bush, said in an interview with The Washington Times. He said he would elaborate his views in an op-ed essay.
"I'm hurt," said retired Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael P. DeLong, who was deputy commander of U.S. Central Command during the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and briefed Mr. Rumsfeld at the Pentagon.
"When we have an administration that is currently at war, with a secretary of defense that has the confidence of the president and basically has done well -- no matter what grade you put on there, he has done well -- to call for his resignation right now is not good for the country," he said.

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"Rifle" DeLong was Tommy Franks' key deputy when plans for "Iraqi Freedom" were being made and he helped organize the coalition forces used in the operation. Tommy Franks also spoke out in defense of Rumsfeld. In his book American Soldier he talks about working with the Secretary of Defense who asked very pointed questions but never suggested the size of the force. In recent interviews Rumsfeld has has said he was prepared to send as many as 400,000 troops to Iraq if they had been requested.

Congress has also raised the issue of the number of troops and Gen. Abizaid, who has been in command of Centcom since Franks retirement, has consistently said he did not want additional troops. I think he should be taken at his word, and asked to explain why, rather than blame the Secretary of Defense.