If these objections had been voiced through the chain of command, as you suggest, do you think for one minute that Seymore Hirsch's moles in the Pentagon would not have had him screaming this from the rooftops?
Sheeeesh!
Only if Rumsfeld's moles told Hirsch .... someday after Rumsfeld leaves and the truth comes out .... then many of these Rumsfeld lovers will start demanding Rumsfeld's head ...