Rumsfeld Ready to Rumble – With Army
Despite the central role of the armed forces in Bush’s vision of America’s relations with the world, Robert Schlesinger writes in the Boston Globe that Secretary of Defense Donald Rusmsfeld is locked in conflict with one particular branch – the Army – perhaps not surprising for a Navy man.
The areas of disagreement range from the number of US troops needed in Iraq to the overall size of the 21st centruy army. However, the venom is appearantly beginning to affect US military readiness, leading to the resignation of Army Secretary Thomas White last spring, and, in recent weeks, the retirement of four top generals, with more expected in the coming months.
“You look at Rumsfeld, and beyond all the rationale, spoken and unspoken, he just dislikes the Army. It’s just palpable. . . . You always have to wonder if when Rumsfeld was a Navy lieutenant junior grade whether an Army officer stole his girlfriend,” said Ralph Peters, a former Army intelligence officer who writes on national security issues.