Rumsfeld deflects generals’ criticism

WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld suggested Tuesday that recent criticism from retired senior officers stemmed from long-standing disagreements over modernizing the U.S. military, saying a series of organizational shake-ups has provoked antagonism within the armed forces.

Rumsfeld refused to address directly the attacks on his handling of the Iraq war from the retired generals, six of whom have called for him to resign, saying he wanted to “let a little time walk over it” so he could reflect on the accusations.

Instead, Rumsfeld detailed reforms he has instituted since becoming defense secretary – from canceling the Army’s prized Crusader battlefield howitzer to reaching into the ranks of retired officers to select Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, a former special forces officer, to become the new Army chief of staff – that have rankled military leaders.

“Every one of those changes that I just described has met resistance,” Rumsfeld said at a Pentagon news conference. “People like things the way they are, and so when you make a change like that, somebody’s not going to like it.”

Rumsfeld again received a strong endorsement of his leadership from President Bush, who followed a rare written statement of support last week with a vigorous endorsement from the Rose Garden on Tuesday, in which Bush said he did not “appreciate the speculation” about Rumsfeld’s future.

“I hear the voices, and I read the front page, and I know the speculation,” Bush said, his voice rising with emotion. “But I’m the decider, and I decide what is best, and what’s best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the secretary of defense.”

Bush agreed that Rumsfeld has faced resistance to proposals to “transform” the military.

However, none of the retired generals who have called for Rumsfeld’s resignation has mentioned the administration’s military transformation agenda. Five of the generals have either commanded forces in Iraq or been directly involved in formulating military plans for dealing with Iraq, and all have cited Rumsfeld’s management of the war as the reason for calling on him to step down.