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Republican chuck hagel said we are losing iraq war { June 24 2005 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2002346654_rumsfeld25.htmlHis remarks appeared at odds with a claim last week by Vice President Dick Cheney -- reaffirmed yesterday in an interview with CNN -- that the insurgency is in its "last throes."
The White House has launched an aggressive campaign to rebut assertions like those made recently by Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., who told U.S. News & World Report, "The reality is that we're losing in Iraq."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2002346654_rumsfeld25.html
Friday, June 24, 2005 - Page updated at 12:00 AM
Lawmakers turn up heat on Rumsfeld over war strategy
By Seattle Times news services
WASHINGTON -- Worry in Congress about the course of U.S. strategy in Iraq boiled over yesterday into a scalding attack on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and some of the toughest questioning of the Pentagon leader since the war began.
During a day of contentious hearings in the House and Senate, Rumsfeld disputed assertions that the U.S. campaign is faltering and argued that the conflict there remains worth its costs in lives and dollars.
He also rejected the idea, backed by a small bipartisan group of lawmakers, of setting a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops, although he said he favored pressing Iraqi authorities to keep to their timetable this year for a new constitution and national elections.
"Any who say we have lost or are losing are flat wrong," he declared in an opening statement, appealing for perseverance. "We are not."
In the day's most dramatic confrontation, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., a leading critic of the Iraq campaign, told Rumsfeld that the war had become a "seeming intractable quagmire."
He recited a long list of what he called "gross errors and mistakes" in the U.S. military campaign and concluded with a renewed appeal for Rumsfeld to step down.
"In baseball, it's three strikes, you're out," Kennedy said before a session of the Armed Services Committee. "What is it for the secretary of defense? Isn't it time for you to resign?"
Rumsfeld paused, appearing to collect his thoughts and composure.
"Well, that is quite a statement," he responded, adding that none of the three four-star generals seated with him "agrees with you that we're in a quagmire and that there's no end in sight."
Indeed, each of the officers -- Army Gen. John Abizaid, commander of U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf; Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq; and Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- then affirmed as much.
Rumsfeld also noted that he had twice offered to resign and that President Bush had decided not to accept the offers -- a reference to a period in spring 2004 when evidence of detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad became public.
During the hearing, numerous members of the Senate Armed Services Committee expressed support for U.S. forces in Iraq and the U.S. effort there. Many agreed with Rumsfeld that setting a deadline for the withdrawal of the 140,000 troops in Iraq would be a mistake.
"A chronic problem"
But Republicans as well as Democrats joined in calling Rumsfeld's attention to signs of declining public support for U.S. involvement in Iraq.
"The public views this every day, Mr. Secretary, more and more like Vietnam. I'm here to tell you, sir, in the most patriotic state that I can imagine, people are beginning to question," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. "And I don't think it's a blip on the radar screen. I think we have a chronic problem on our hands."
Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., who, like Graham, has been a strong supporter of the war, warned, "I fear that American public opinion is tipping away from this effort."
If there is such tipping among Americans, Rumsfeld allowed, "I have a feeling they're getting pushed" -- an apparent reference to unfavorable news coverage and political commentary. Rumsfeld expressed confidence that support would rebound.
But Abizaid offered an assessment of the Iraqi insurgency that contrasted with more optimistic portrayals by some administration officials. He said the resistance remains about as strong as it was six months ago and acknowledged the possibility that enemy fighters still have sufficient reserves to mount "a military surprise" such as a surge in coordinated attacks.
His remarks appeared at odds with a claim last week by Vice President Dick Cheney -- reaffirmed yesterday in an interview with CNN -- that the insurgency is in its "last throes." Pressed on the seeming difference, Abizaid said, "I'm sure you'll forgive me" for not criticizing the vice president.
Abizaid said that an increasing number of the suicide attacks in Iraq have been carried out by terrorists from such North African countries as Morocco and Algeria. That suggests that the insurgency in Iraq is drawing Islamic fighters from well outside the immediate region.
"In terms of the overall strength of the insurgency," Abizaid said, "I'd say it's about the same as it was ... there's a lot of work to be done against the insurgency."
And some terror techniques used by insurgents in Iraq are being exported to Afghanistan, where al-Qaida fighters are trying to make a resurgence, Abizaid said.
Abizaid also told the Senate committee that the questions in the United States about the war's path and purpose are resonating with troops in Iraq.
"I've never seen the lack of confidence greater," he said. "When my soldiers say to me and ask me the question of whether or not they've got the support of the American people, that worries me. And they're starting to do that."
Still, he, Rumsfeld and the other military authorities attempted to present a picture of considerable progress in Iraq across not only military but political and economic fronts as well. They said that despite a rise in enemy attacks since earlier this year, the number remains at about the same level as a year ago and at only about half of previous peaks.
Walking a fine line
They said Iraqi security forces are becoming more capable, and Iraqi opinion polls showed more confidence in the forces and in the interim government. Additionally, Iraqi political authorities remain on track to draft a new constitution and elect a new national government by the end of the year, they said.
Republicans tried to walk a fine line, expressing support for the war's objectives while underscoring the gravity of public concern.
"There is no question that the American military is the best fighting military in the history of the world, and these insurgents cannot on a military level defeat us," said Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev. "The only way they can win is back here at home, defeating us politically if we lose the support of the American people."
U.S. deaths have surpassed 1,700 since the war began in March 2003, and an Associated Press-Ipsos poll this month found just 41 percent of adults supported Bush's handling of the war -- the lowest that figure has been.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the decorated Vietnam war hero considered a staunch ally of the armed services, described himself as "very worried" about the stress of repeated deployments on the National Guard and reserves as well as reports that attacks on U.S. forces have increased since Iraq regained sovereignty.
The White House has launched an aggressive campaign to rebut assertions like those made recently by Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., who told U.S. News & World Report, "The reality is that we're losing in Iraq."
In addition to the appearances by Rumsfeld and the military brass yesterday, Bush is to meet at the White House with Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari today -- a week before the one-year anniversary of the U.S.-led coalition's handing of political control to Iraqis.
Compiled from The Washington Post, Knight Ridder Newspapers, Newsday, The Associated Press and Los Angeles Times
Copyright © 2005 The Seattle Times Company
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