Gold9472
04-16-2006, 08:31 AM
Pentagon Memo Aims to Counter Rumsfeld Critics
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/16/washington/16rumsfeld.html?ex=1302840000&en=c8820a944116b817&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
By MARK MAZZETTI and JIM RUTENBERG
Published: April 16, 2006
WASHINGTON, April 15 — The Defense Department has issued a memorandum to a group of former military commanders and civilian analysts that offers a direct challenge to the criticisms made by retired generals about Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.
The one-page memorandum was sent by e-mail on Friday to the group, which includes several retired generals who appear regularly on television, and came as the Bush administration stepped up its own defense of Mr. Rumsfeld. On the political front, Republican strategists voiced rising anxiety on Saturday that without a major change in the course of the Iraq war, Republican candidates would suffer dearly in the November elections.
The memorandum begins by stating, "U.S. senior military leaders are involved to an unprecedented degree in every decision-making process in the Department of Defense." It says Mr. Rumsfeld has had 139 meetings with the Joint Chiefs of Staff since the start of 2005 and 208 meetings with the senior field commanders.
Seeking to put the criticism of the relatively small number of retired generals into context, the e-mail message also notes that there are more than 8,000 active-duty and retired general officers alive today.
The message was released Friday by the Pentagon's office of the Directorate for Programs and Community Relations and Public Liaison, but it was unclear who wrote it.
It is not uncommon for the Pentagon to send such memorandums to this group of officers, whom they consider to be influential in shaping public opinion. But it is unusual for the Pentagon to issue guidance that can be used by retired generals to rebut the arguments of other retired generals.
The memorandum quickly followed President Bush's statement on Friday in which he gave a strong endorsement of Mr. Rumsfeld.
The memorandum spoke directly to the thrust of the retired generals' complaints that Mr. Rumsfeld was a "micromanager" who often ignored the advice of military commanders.
The group that received the message was made up of both staunch Bush administration supporters and some who have been critical of administration policies. They are brought in periodically to consult with Pentagon officials and were notified on Friday that Mr. Rumsfeld wanted to meet with them this Tuesday.
A Defense Department spokesman, Eric Ruff, called the memorandum a "fact sheet" that was developed to provide detailed information to an influential group of analysts. In no way was it meant to enlist retired officers to speak out on behalf of Mr. Rumsfeld, Mr. Ruff said.
"The fact sheet was sent out to provide people with the facts," he said. "We would be doing a disservice to the analysts and the American public if we didn't provide exactly what the facts are."
One retired general who regularly attends the Pentagon meetings said Saturday that he found it unusual for the Pentagon to send such a memorandum in the middle of a heated debate, because it was almost certain to appear politically motivated.
"I think it's part of the charm offensive," said the general, who was granted anonymity because he said he was afraid he would not be invited to future Pentagon sessions.
For a president who has responded to critics of the war by saying he takes his cue from commanders in the field, not politicians in Washington, the past week has put the White House in an uncomfortable position. Administration officials acknowledged that unlike past criticisms from lawmakers, the comments by the generals — who say they have only military objectives in mind — could carry extra weight.
Consequently, administration officials were quick to note that supportive generals were stepping forward to give television interviews. They indicated that they were far more comfortable seeing retired generals fight it out on the airwaves rather than having to debate uniformed war critics themselves from the civilian confines of the White House.
Hours after the president released his statement Friday, two prominent retired generals, Richard B. Myers and Tommy Franks, moved to defend Mr. Rumsfeld. General Myers also criticized the former commanders who had called for his ouster. But the men are not part of the group of retired officers who were the main recipients of the memorandum.
The memorandum states that the secretary of defense meets four times a week with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and goes on to note that he also "meets approximately twice each year with individual service chiefs to review general/flag officer personnel assignments and planning to the two-star officer level."
The retired generals' critical comments have come as the White House has tried to buoy support for the war.
On Saturday, Gen. Wesley K. Clark became the latest retired officer to call for the resignation of Mr. Rumsfeld. General Clark, the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004.
White House and Republican strategists have identified the war as the single largest reason for the president's sinking approval ratings and say it is adding to the challenges facing Congressional Republicans in the midterm elections.
On Saturday morning, two Republicans with close ties to the White House said that they were deeply concerned about the situation and that Mr. Rumsfeld's resignation could help improve the party's prospects for the November elections.
Both men were granted anonymity because they feared that speaking publicly would damage their relations with the White House. They also said they would be surprised if Mr. Bush did force Mr. Rumsfeld's resignation, because he had tended to stand by his top aides in the face of public criticism.
A senior Republican Congressional adviser who was granted anonymity for the same reason said of the war: "There needs to be signals sent — major signals — that some things are going to be different. That could, or should, mean that changes must be made. If not, and things go exactly the way they are, our candidates will pay a dear price."
Representative Christopher Shays, a Connecticut Republican whose campaign opponent has made Mr. Shays's support for the war an issue, said Saturday that he believed his prospects would be brighter if Mr. Rumsfeld were to go, though he has not called for his resignation.
"Do I think someone else would do a better job, and if someone else would do a better job, does it help me?" said Mr. Shays, who has previously criticized the conduct of the war. "Of course it would."
Mr. Rumsfeld still enjoys support in many Republican circles. Senator John Cornyn of Texas, a Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said his resignation would be a mistake.
"If this were to happen," Mr. Cornyn said, "it would encourage demands for other members of the cabinet or other people close to the president to resign." Echoing administration officials, he said some good news out of Iraq could go a long way toward quieting critics.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/16/washington/16rumsfeld.html?ex=1302840000&en=c8820a944116b817&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
By MARK MAZZETTI and JIM RUTENBERG
Published: April 16, 2006
WASHINGTON, April 15 — The Defense Department has issued a memorandum to a group of former military commanders and civilian analysts that offers a direct challenge to the criticisms made by retired generals about Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.
The one-page memorandum was sent by e-mail on Friday to the group, which includes several retired generals who appear regularly on television, and came as the Bush administration stepped up its own defense of Mr. Rumsfeld. On the political front, Republican strategists voiced rising anxiety on Saturday that without a major change in the course of the Iraq war, Republican candidates would suffer dearly in the November elections.
The memorandum begins by stating, "U.S. senior military leaders are involved to an unprecedented degree in every decision-making process in the Department of Defense." It says Mr. Rumsfeld has had 139 meetings with the Joint Chiefs of Staff since the start of 2005 and 208 meetings with the senior field commanders.
Seeking to put the criticism of the relatively small number of retired generals into context, the e-mail message also notes that there are more than 8,000 active-duty and retired general officers alive today.
The message was released Friday by the Pentagon's office of the Directorate for Programs and Community Relations and Public Liaison, but it was unclear who wrote it.
It is not uncommon for the Pentagon to send such memorandums to this group of officers, whom they consider to be influential in shaping public opinion. But it is unusual for the Pentagon to issue guidance that can be used by retired generals to rebut the arguments of other retired generals.
The memorandum quickly followed President Bush's statement on Friday in which he gave a strong endorsement of Mr. Rumsfeld.
The memorandum spoke directly to the thrust of the retired generals' complaints that Mr. Rumsfeld was a "micromanager" who often ignored the advice of military commanders.
The group that received the message was made up of both staunch Bush administration supporters and some who have been critical of administration policies. They are brought in periodically to consult with Pentagon officials and were notified on Friday that Mr. Rumsfeld wanted to meet with them this Tuesday.
A Defense Department spokesman, Eric Ruff, called the memorandum a "fact sheet" that was developed to provide detailed information to an influential group of analysts. In no way was it meant to enlist retired officers to speak out on behalf of Mr. Rumsfeld, Mr. Ruff said.
"The fact sheet was sent out to provide people with the facts," he said. "We would be doing a disservice to the analysts and the American public if we didn't provide exactly what the facts are."
One retired general who regularly attends the Pentagon meetings said Saturday that he found it unusual for the Pentagon to send such a memorandum in the middle of a heated debate, because it was almost certain to appear politically motivated.
"I think it's part of the charm offensive," said the general, who was granted anonymity because he said he was afraid he would not be invited to future Pentagon sessions.
For a president who has responded to critics of the war by saying he takes his cue from commanders in the field, not politicians in Washington, the past week has put the White House in an uncomfortable position. Administration officials acknowledged that unlike past criticisms from lawmakers, the comments by the generals — who say they have only military objectives in mind — could carry extra weight.
Consequently, administration officials were quick to note that supportive generals were stepping forward to give television interviews. They indicated that they were far more comfortable seeing retired generals fight it out on the airwaves rather than having to debate uniformed war critics themselves from the civilian confines of the White House.
Hours after the president released his statement Friday, two prominent retired generals, Richard B. Myers and Tommy Franks, moved to defend Mr. Rumsfeld. General Myers also criticized the former commanders who had called for his ouster. But the men are not part of the group of retired officers who were the main recipients of the memorandum.
The memorandum states that the secretary of defense meets four times a week with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and goes on to note that he also "meets approximately twice each year with individual service chiefs to review general/flag officer personnel assignments and planning to the two-star officer level."
The retired generals' critical comments have come as the White House has tried to buoy support for the war.
On Saturday, Gen. Wesley K. Clark became the latest retired officer to call for the resignation of Mr. Rumsfeld. General Clark, the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004.
White House and Republican strategists have identified the war as the single largest reason for the president's sinking approval ratings and say it is adding to the challenges facing Congressional Republicans in the midterm elections.
On Saturday morning, two Republicans with close ties to the White House said that they were deeply concerned about the situation and that Mr. Rumsfeld's resignation could help improve the party's prospects for the November elections.
Both men were granted anonymity because they feared that speaking publicly would damage their relations with the White House. They also said they would be surprised if Mr. Bush did force Mr. Rumsfeld's resignation, because he had tended to stand by his top aides in the face of public criticism.
A senior Republican Congressional adviser who was granted anonymity for the same reason said of the war: "There needs to be signals sent — major signals — that some things are going to be different. That could, or should, mean that changes must be made. If not, and things go exactly the way they are, our candidates will pay a dear price."
Representative Christopher Shays, a Connecticut Republican whose campaign opponent has made Mr. Shays's support for the war an issue, said Saturday that he believed his prospects would be brighter if Mr. Rumsfeld were to go, though he has not called for his resignation.
"Do I think someone else would do a better job, and if someone else would do a better job, does it help me?" said Mr. Shays, who has previously criticized the conduct of the war. "Of course it would."
Mr. Rumsfeld still enjoys support in many Republican circles. Senator John Cornyn of Texas, a Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said his resignation would be a mistake.
"If this were to happen," Mr. Cornyn said, "it would encourage demands for other members of the cabinet or other people close to the president to resign." Echoing administration officials, he said some good news out of Iraq could go a long way toward quieting critics.