Military Publications Call on Rumsfeld to Resign

Neocons Blame Bush Administration “Incompetence” for “Disaster” in Iraq

As the situation in Iraq continues to deteriorate, powerful voices are calling on George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld to finally take some responsibility for the incompetent handling of the war. Four leading military newspapers believe that Rumsfeld has “lost the support and respect of the military leadership” and should resign. Meanwhile, two leading neoconservatives and intellectual architects of the Iraq War and some of the President’s closest allies, have turned on the administration stating that if they had known how truly incompetent Bush’s team was they would have never advised going to war. In the face of all this criticism: from the military, from the neocons, from other conservative foreign policy leaders, and most importantly from the American people what is George Bush’s answer? “Stay the Course”.

4 Main Military Newspapers Call on Rumsfeld to Resign: The Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times and Marine Times will publish an editorial on Monday calling for Donald Rumsfeld to resign. They believe that “he's lost the support and respect of the military leadership,” and that “it's time for him to be replaced.” The editorials come in response to President Bush’s declaration last week that he wants Rumsfeld to stay in his administration until the very end. [CNN, 11/3/04]

Richard Perle, Former Chairman of the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee: “You Have to Hold the President Responsible.” “The decisions did not get made that should have been. They didn't get made in a timely fashion, and the differences were argued out endlessly.… At the end of the day, you have to hold the president responsible.” [Vanity Fair, 11/3/04]

Ken Adelman, One of the Leading Proponents of the War: Tenet, Franks, Bremer: “Three of the Most Incompetent People.” “The most dispiriting and awful moment of the whole administration was the day that Bush gave the Presidential Medal of Freedom to [former C.I.A. director] George Tenet, General Tommy Franks, and [Coalition Provisional Authority chief] Jerry [Paul] Bremer—three of the most incompetent people who've ever served in such key spots. And they get the highest civilian honor a president can bestow on anyone! That was the day I checked out of this administration.’ [Vanity Fair, 11/3/04]