Political Quotes

“over the weekend we have heard from two generals who have a role to play in our war in Iraq. Brigadier General Mark Shide stated that during the runup to the Iraq war, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld threatened to fire anyone who tried to plan for the postwar environment. I am quoting General Shide. He said that Secretary Rumsfeld did not want any planning for the postwar environment, quote, because the American public will not back us if they think we are going over there for a long war. Well, that strategic thinking has given us a long war. Also, on the front page of the Washington Post on Sunday, the general and a director that is head of the military for Anbar Province says he has too few troops to secure the western part of Baghdad and Anbar Province and make what needs to be done, rather than as insurgency there, as the security in that area, that is mainly a Sunni area, we have a rapid insurgency that says it is now out of control. There is no precedent in American history for a Secretary of Defense to intentionally send too few troops into battle without the equipment that they need, and without a plan to finish the job. Nowhere in American history has a Secretary of Defense made such decisions that put men and women in the American national security in harm's way than Secretary Rumsfeld.…”