Posted on 12/09/2004 12:53:48 PM PST by Kaslin
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) said on Thursday U.S. troop concerns about inadequate equipment for Iraq (news - web sites) combat are being addressed and he did not blame soldiers for raising the issue with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
A day after he was bombarded with criticism from U.S. soldiers based in Kuwait, Rumsfeld promised more would be done to protect forces. He also said steps were being taken to deal with explosive devices, a leading cause of death in Iraq, where more than 1,000 American soldiers have been killed in action.
Since invading Iraq last year, administration critics have accused it of failing to send adequate forces and armor to stabilize the country, allowing the current bloody insurgency to develop.
The latest complaints put the administration further on the defensive. Bush had rejected charges from Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) in the campaign for last month's election that military forces in Iraq did not have sufficient protection.
"The concerns expressed are being addressed, and that is, we expect our troops to have the best possible equipment. And if I were a soldier overseas, wanting to defend my country, I'd want to ask the secretary of defense the same question," Bush said.
He told reporters in an Oval Office event that he has been telling military families that "we're doing everything we possibly can to protect your loved ones in a mission which is vital and important."
California Rep. Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record), the Democratic Leader in the House of Representatives, said Rumsfeld should be fired.
She said the Iraq war "began 21 months ago and Secretary Rumsfeld has still not done what is necessary, which is his highest duty, to protect our troops to the greatest degree possible. No CEO in America would retain a manager with so clear a record of failure and neither should President Bush."
Meeting with troops in Kuwait on Wednesday, Rumsfeld heard several complaints, including one from Spc. Thomas Wilson that U.S. forces were forced to dig up scrap metal to protect their vehicles in Iraq because of a shortage of armored ones.
"CONSTRUCTIVE EXCHANGE"
"I don't know what the facts are but somebody's certainly going to sit down with him and find out what he knows that they may not know, and make sure he knows what they know that he may not know, and that's a good thing. I think it's a very constructive exchange," Rumsfeld told reporters traveling with him on Thursday in India, another stop on a regional tour.
As the military adjusts to changing tactics of the insurgency, it requires different types of equipment and approaches, Rumsfeld said. "It doesn't happen instantaneously, but it has been happening pretty rapidly," he said.
The criticism came just days after the White House announced Rumsfeld would stay on in Bush's second-term Cabinet and the White House closed ranks behind him.
"In terms of Secretary Rumsfeld, I think it's important for those at the top of the chain of command to hear from those who wear the uniform, especially those on the front lines in harm's way," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.
But late night television comedians seized on the issue, and comic Jay Leno poked fun at Rumsfeld for saying that armor did not always provide protection. "Then he got in his armored car and left," said Leno to laughs from his audience.
In an apparent effort to damp down the political fallout the U.S. general in charge of coalition ground forces in Iraq vowed on Thursday to make sure that all American military vehicles - including trucks - driven into Iraq in the future would contain at least minimal armor plating.
"And so we're continuing to work feverishly to ensure that they make our requirement that nobody goes north without it," Army Lt. Gen. Steven Whitcomb told Pentagon (news - web sites) reporters in a hastily arranged teleconference from Kuwait, where U.S. troops have been gathering before entering Iraq.
Whitcomb told reporters progress had been made since August of last year to upgrade armor on "Humvee" jeeps, although the military was still about 2,000 short of 8,100 "up-armored" heavily-protected Humvees requested by commanders in Iraq.
The House Armed Services Committee, meanwhile, released a list indicating that only about 1,100 medium and heavy U.S. military trucks out of some 9,000 in the Iraq and Afghanistan (news - web sites) regions had received needed protection for their cabs.
(Additional reporting by Tabassum Zakaria in New Delhi and Sue Pleming and Vicki Allen in Washington)
LOL! That's a bit like the "bombardment" of Boston Red Sox World Series trophies.
Should be Roto-Rooters. They go after stopped up crap in a sewer.
FUBAR. What's new? Griping is the God given right of every soldier.
Get over it Rotor Routers. Kerry lost. The election is over already!
I read the transcript and frankly didn't see much to find offense with in either the question or in the Secretary's answer. It is addressing an issue that all recognize is an issue that can be discussed and addressed.
Geuters
Accordning to this article, http://www.nynewsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-usarmo1210,0,7182827.story?coll=nyc-nationhome-headlines Rumsfeld lied about not being able to produce more armor.
"Despite Rumsfeld's contentions, Bloomberg News was reporting today that Armor Holdings Inc., the sole supplier of protective plates for the Humvee military vehicles used in Iraq, said it could increase output by as much as 22 percent per month with no investment and is awaiting an order from the Army. Armor Holdings, based in Jacksonville, Fla., last month told the Army it could add armor to as many as 550 of the trucks a month, up from 450 vehicles now, Robert Mecredy, president of the company's aerospace and defense group, said in an interview Thursday with Bloomberg."
Another case of MSM talking to themselves?
The question to Rumsfeld came from a reporter - only soldiers could ask questions so this reporter got a GI to ask it - said it made his day. The vehicle in question has been fitted with armor plates, top, bottom and sides since late spring. The GI should have been more careful; I understand the guy was National Guard.
These guys are getting killed!
And you're worried about embarrassing Rummy???
National Guardsmen, apparently were not told that a war zone has risks.
Ops4 God BLess America!
This comment is attributed to Army LTG Whitcomb. I doubt seriously he said it.
Wonder how many other words the reporter put in the general's mouth?
Anyone know if GM and Mercedes/Chrysler merged recently and it didn't make the news?
I know I heard Rush talking about it and read the report how it happened on Drudge. The Department of Defense needs to screen these reporters more carefully when they they decicide who the allow to accompany the troops on their missions
I read the transcript also and that is why I added my comment next to the headline
Ahem, just so you know the NYNewsday is nothing but a liberal rag
It's probably going to get much worse. The MSM is nothing but a disgusting POS
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