Rumsfeld Takes Fire From Own Troops

From the Toronto Star: RUMSFELD TAKES FLAK FROM TROOPS Bush's defence secretary grilled at Kuwait event Soldiers ask him about long tours, equipment flaws TIM HARPER WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON—Donald Rumsfeld received an unprecedented series of in-your-face challenges from soldiers preparing to deploy to Iraq yesterday, incoming fire which raised more questions about the morale of U.S. troops as the war lurches toward its second anniversary. The U.S. defence secretary was blistered with questions by some of the 2,000 men and women in uniform who attended a town hall meeting in Kuwait — queries about inadequate equipment, lack of benefits, pay owed them by the government and an unpopular program known as "stop-loss," which has lengthened deployments for volunteer soldiers and been dubbed a "backdoor draft" at home. It was the first trip abroad for the 72-year-old Rumsfeld since he agreed to stay in U.S. President George W. Bush's cabinet — at least for part of the second term — and he seemed taken aback by the blunt questions, the like of which he's not been subjected to since the beginning of the war. Defence analysts said most of the questions are rooted in the Bush administration's lack of planning for any sustained war with a determined insurgency, and show the absence of foresight has had an impact on those who are putting their lives on the line in Iraq. More trouble could be looming for Rumsfeld when he returns to face new revelations of prison abuse in Iraq, alleged mistreatment that occurred after the Abu Ghraib scandal that tainted the United States' reputation worldwide last spring. A leading American newspaper, the Los Angeles Times, in an editorial published yesterday, wondered what it takes to get fired these days, suggesting Rumsfeld should have been ousted months ago for the prison abuse scandal and "a disastrous lack of judgment" in conducting the Iraq war. The editorial came a day after the Pentagon's inspector-general blamed leadership failures by top air force officials for a decade of sexual assaults against female cadets at the elite Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. At the Kuwait question-and-answer session, army Specialist Thomas Wilson, an airplane mechanic whose unit, the 278th Regimental Combat Team of the Tennessee Army National Guard, is about to drive north into Iraq for a one-year tour of duty, bluntly asked Rumsfeld why there are not enough armoured vehicles for the mission. He drew applause when he said he and his colleagues have had to rummage through garbage to find what they need to fortify their vehicles. "We're digging (through) pieces of rusted scrap metal and compromised ballistic glass that's already been shot up, dropped, busted — picking the best out of this scrap to put on our vehicles to take into combat," he said. "We do not have proper armament vehicles to carry with us north." Rumsfeld said the army is doing all it can to get armoured Humvees to troops in Iraq. "It's a matter of production and capability of doing it," Rumsfeld said. "As you know, you go to war with the army you have. They're not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time." At another point, Rumsfeld tried to lighten the atmosphere after taking a series of tough questions. "Now settle down. Settle down," he said, drawing laughter. "Hell, I'm an old man and it's early in the morning. I didn't take ... just gathering my thoughts here." One Democrat, Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd, said Rumsfeld's remarks showed a "stunning" lack of concern for the soldiers, and Arizona Republican Senator John McCain told CNN the stop-loss program is a "terrible thing" for morale and shows the need for an expanded military. "It is highly unusual for a defence secretary to be challenged by troops, in a war zone, in what is supposed to be a pep talk," said Loren Thompson, an analyst at the Lexington Institute, a defence think-tank in Virginia. "It is also highly unusual for the troops to applaud when he is challenged. "It shows you there is a lot of dissatisfaction among U.S. troops." Thompson said the shortage of armour and the stop-loss program both show the Bush administration has continually been surprised by the efficiency and strength of the insurgency in Iraq. A member of the 116th Calvary Brigade told Rumsfeld the National Guard must deal with shortages and antiquated equipment and the inspector-general for the 116th Brigade Combat team said about 150 soldiers are owed thousands of dollars of travel pay since last July and are having collection agencies showing up at their spouses' doorsteps at home. That complaint was also met with applause. "That's just not right," Rumsfeld said. "Folks (who) have earned money, and are due money, ought to be able to get the money and they ought not to have to put their families under stress while they're waiting for the money." Another soldier complained she and her husband signed up as volunteers yet cannot return home as scheduled, under the stop-loss program. The contracts of about 7,000 active-duty soldiers have been extended under the policy and it could affect up to 40,000 reservists. Rumsfeld said the stop-loss program was well understood by those who enlist — although many soldiers say recruiters did not tell them about the involuntary deployment extension — and it will be continued even though he hoped it would be used infrequently. The Pentagon said yesterday it was producing 450 armoured Humvees per month and acknowledged it is still about 2,000 short of the 30,000 needed in Iraq. Israel has deferred its order of armoured Humvees so they can be sent directly to Iraq, the Toronto Star's Mitch Potter reports from Jerusalem. Link: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1102547411800&call_pageid=968332188854&col=968350060724&DPL=IvsNDS%2f7ChAX&tacodalogin=yes