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March 20, 2006
Retired General Paul Eaton: 'Rumsfeld Must Step Down'
In a March 20, 2006, New York Times article reprinted in the New York Times Company-owned International Herald Tribune and headlined "For his failures, Rumsfeld must go," Paul D. Eaton, a retired U.S. Army major general who was "in charge of training the Iraqi military from 2003 to 2004," wrote: During World War II, American soldiers en route to Britain before D-Day were given a pamphlet on how to behave while awaiting the invasion. The most important quote was: "It is impolite to criticize your host; it is militarily stupid to criticize your allies."
Eaton said, "In sum, he has shown himself incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically and is far more than anyone else responsible for what has happened to America's mission in Iraq. Rumsfeld must step down."
By that rule, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is not competent to lead America's armed forces. First, his failure to build coalitions with U.S. allies from what he dismissively called "old Europe" has imposed far greater demands and risks on American soldiers in Iraq than necessary. Second, he alienated his allies in the U.S. military, ignoring the advice of seasoned officers and denying subordinates any chance for input.
Posted by Munir Umrani at March 20, 2006 01:58 AM
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