WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld took the time to defend his view of "the armor issue" of US military forces in Iraq (news - web sites), in an op-ed piece published in USA Today.
"In recent days, much has been made of a question I received from a National Guard soldier at a town hall meeting in Kuwait about armor on Army vehicles," Rumsfeld said Tuesday under a heading in his commentary entitled "The Armor Issue".
The soldier complained about the lack of armor plating for their vehicles. Rumsfeld's answer -- "you go to war with the army you have not the army you might want" -- was considered callous by some lawmakers who called for his resignation.
"His question was a fair one, and I share his impatience," the defense secretary said in his commentary.
more:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1515&ncid=1515&e=5&u=/afp/20041221/wl_mideast_afp/usdefenseiraqrumsfeld_041221110712USAToday
Rumsfeld: Military is evolving
By Donald H. Rumsfeld
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has been under increasing criticism during the past few weeks, even from fellow conservatives and Republican lawmakers. USA TODAY offered Rumsfeld an opportunity to respond.
Rumsfeld, on his handling of a question from a National Guard soldier, writes, "...I share his impatience."
By Mark Wilson, Getty Images
When he assumed office, President Bush announced that he wanted the Defense Department to transform, to better face a century of new challenges. We began that effort before 9/11, motivated by the understanding that we live in an era that will be characterized by surprise and uncertainty.
What we have found in four years, in dozens of town hall meetings with military and civilian personnel all over the world, is a department of about 3 million dedicated professionals proud to serve their country. The men and women in uniform are putting their lives at risk for our country. Many have paid the ultimate price, and I honor their service and the sacrifice and dedication of their families and loved ones. It is on their behalf that we must do all we can to develop a military designed to meet the challenges of this era.
We have learned that this wonderful institution is, in many ways, still organized, trained and best equipped for the more conventional challenges of the past century, when wars were conducted largely between large navies, armies and air forces.
The enemies we face today, for the most part, do not have large standing forces or, in some cases, even territory to defend. They know they cannot defeat us on the battlefield, so they choose to fight us in less-conventional ways — ways that play to their strengths, not ours.
more:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2004-12-20-rumsfeld-edit_x.htm:puke: Rummy needs to go.