Rumsfeld Blasts Top Brass

ny daily news ^ | 3.29.2 | RICHARD SISK

[Pancho13]

Rumsfeld Blasts Top Brass General, admiral had complained publicly

By RICHARD SISK Daily News Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ripped two four-star officers yesterday for saying U.S. service members were tired and running out of a key weapon in the war on terror.

Rumsfeld also announced the death of a Navy SEAL, who stepped on a land mine near Kandahar, Afghanistan.

In a rare public rebuke for the top brass, Rumsfeld and Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, used a televised Pentagon briefing to criticize Army Gen. William Kernan and Adm. Robert Natter, commander of the Atlantic Fleet.

Rumsfeld said Kernan, chief of the Joint Forces Command, was out of line for telling a House panel two weeks ago that the troops were tired because "we are busier than we have ever been."

Rumsfeld said the 1.4 million men and women on active duty don't "begin to fit that characterization."

Natter came under fire for saying the Navy had run short of joint direct attack munitions, or J-DAMs, and had to borrow some of the satellite-guided bombs from the Air Force.

"We damn near ran out in Afghanistan," Natter said three weeks ago.

"The inventory is not depleted," said Myers, who then got into trouble himself. "Even my wife understood this one."

That drew oohs from the media crowd.

"You're in trouble everywhere now," Rumsfeld said in mock horror. "When you say, 'even my wife' — even I know better than to say that."

Myers sheepishly sought to recover by saying, "Mary Jo, turn off the TV."

Uncertainty Persists

After giving an overview of the war, which they said showed steady progress, Rumsfeld and Myers bristled at questions about the troops' readiness.

But concern is widespread at the Pentagon that U.S. forces may be overextended by worldwide commitments.

Top Pentagon officials also have acknowledged that they are pressing manufacturers to churn out more J-DAMs.

Retired Rear Adm. Eugene Carroll said the rebuke of two top officers was highly unusual.

"Reprimands are usually done in private for going off the reservation," he said.

In other developments:

Chief Petty Officer Matthew Bourgeois, 35, a Navy SEAL from Tallahassee, Fla., was killed when he stepped on a land mine during a training exercise near Kandahar. Another serviceman, who was not identified, was wounded in the blast but was expected to recover. Pakistani police arrested more than 30 Islamic militants, including some alleged members of Al Qaeda, in raids in the cities of Lahore and Faisalbad in Punjab province. One suspect was killed and four wounded in shootouts during the raids, the Interior Ministry said.

Original Publication Date: 3/29/02

[Aquilla]

There is a time and place for things. That information, if true, should have been relayed in private, perhaps a closed session of the committee. Seems to me the last thing in the world you want to do in the middle of a war is tell the enemy "this is a good time to attack us, we are tired and low on ammo...."

[wardaddy]

I might actually agree with you about the privacy venue.

[Quix]

I suspect the brass were right. But I think you are very right to avoid offending Rummy. I believe he's a kick *ss and take no prisoners sort of guy. A friend of mine worked immediately under him as a CEO of operations in this area in the last or 2nd to the last company he commanded.

[DSHambone]

US Congress, that retains the power to wage war

The Commander in Chief has this job..Congress has the power to declare war, which in this case it has been too chicken sh!t to do. As for the truth - these guys might have 40-50% of the picture ...

[wardaddy]

However the brass in question didn't pay much attention to privacy either did they?

[DoctorMichael]

I think a memo (or direct request) TO Rummy saying........"We need more of the J-Dam bombs in order to more efficiently help these poor rag-headed SOBs achieve their 72 virgin allotment", would illicit quick results. I'm sure Rummy would comply.

[uncbob]

Rumsfeld said the 1.4 million men and women on active duty don't "begin to fit that characterization."

BS The Clinton military is coming home to roost

[VRWC_minion]

Has the administration finally gone around the bend in its attempt to stifle any honest examination of their conduct?

Only an idiot would want the military to air its strengths and weaknesses in public.

[fogarty]

Yeah and it's very interesting that the same "conservative" pundits who warned about military readiness 18 months ago are now suddenly silent, as if the problem suddenly went away last summer.

I got news for everyone: it takes a hell of a lot more time to fix a decade's worth of deteriation in our armed forces than just a year. As a matter of fact I clearly recall Bush himself as a candidate making the SAME warning speech in late 2000. Did he think a payraise and another billion dollars for the Beltway bandits was going to bring us back to pre-Persian Gulf readiness?

[wardaddy]

Strong leaders in Republics like ours might be fair but they must be firm. All of our historical leaders who accomplished goals in line with their views were firm and resolute....parsing vaccillating hand wringers need not apply.

[El Gato]

US Congress, that retains the power to wage war

Not quite, they retain the power to declar it, and they must pay for it, but the Constitution clearly makes the President commander in Chief of the Military, and thus responsible for actually waging it.

[Pagey]

Why is it so wrong for these top officers, responsible for the lives of so many to tell the truth as they see it to Congress?

What a question.The Bloody Liberals Intentionally Asked an innocent leading question,which forced a truthful answer out of them,cause they made them feel "Comfortable"(cause when you're that high up you can't really lie/mis-lead,like my socialist co-workers do)Ironically enough, this is exactly what the "Hell-O-Crats" WANTED KNOWN around the world,they got Military personnel to get themselves in trouble,and THEY walk away unscathed.And people wonder why we don't need Tom Ridge appearing before any committees...How the "Hell-O-Crats" live w/ themselves on a daily basis, is beyond my comprehension.....

[Grut]

Would American Generals have said such during World War II to the Nazi's????

More to the point, would French generals in 1939 have said such to the French? Or would they have been brave, gallant and ultimately... rather embarassed?

[Ahban]

If telling the truth to a house panel (not CNN) is wrong, then we are in trouble. Seems to me Rummy is out of line on this one.

[sell_propaganda]

it's all part of the plan

[uncbob]

The Commander in Chief has this job..Congress has the power to declare war, which in this case it has been too chicken sh!t to do. As for the truth - these guys might have 40-50% of the picture ...

Congress is also tasked with raising and maintaining the army

Officers get their commissions from congress

Probably should have testified to this in secret hearings

However the public does have a right to know whether the job of raising and maintaining an Army is being conducted properly.

I am sure Bush is trying to rejuvenate the Clinton PC ed services . I wish that the GOP controlled congress simce 94 would have made this a big issue but the stupid party got rolled by clinton

[b4its2late]

Good! Rip 'em new ones.......

[PISANO]

Freaking 4 stars SHOULD know better than to say something that provides the press with fodder to slam GW and the military. SecDef did his job. If they don't know any better they should be called down in PUBLIC. The troops are NOT tired. They are pumped. Vietnam went on for years with NO NATIONAL objective or SUPPORT. Our forces will run on adrenaline alone for another year or two. If we need more munitions DON'T TELL THE WORLD about it. All in all very stupid of these 4 bangers.

[majordivit]

I agree with the Generals who say our guys are tired. What kind of BS operation is this anyway? Bush and Rumsfeld bombing Caves in Afghanistan? Why are we trying to hunt down and find Al Qaeda? Why are we relying on the treachery of our so called northern alliance allies (aligned with Iran by the way)?

Enough!! Enough Rumsfeld!! Stop bombing caves in Afghanistan!! Act NOW! ACT in a serious way but ACT NOW!!

I assure you that one Neutron bomb will solve all our problems in Afghanistan. They wont need a translator, not even the Persian terrorists. They will all know what that means. It won't matter if the terrorists are hiding in this cave or that hole..or over here or over there..one neutron bomb will get all of them...

[meandog]

Uh-oh...I see the ham-handed fist of one Robert Strange McNamara here. This is what first got us in trouble in 'Nam; I believe in military protocol and tact but keeping truth from the public is wrong, wrong, wrong! Bill Clinton's regime went a long way toward depleting weaponry and tiring our military and it's time that Rummy faced up to the fact, regardless of the DemocRATic toes he has to step on!