Another retired general calls for Rumsfeld to resign (a must read!)

[cynatnite]

The retired commander of key forces in Iraq called Wednesday for Donald Rumsfeld to step down, joining several other former top military commanders who have harshly criticized the secretary of defense's authoritarian style for making the military's job more difficult.

"I think we need a fresh start" at the top of the Pentagon, retired Army Maj. Gen. John Batiste, who commanded the 1st Infantry Division in Iraq in 2004-05, said in an interview. "We need leadership up there that respects the military as they expect the military to respect them. And that leadership needs to understand teamwork."

Batiste noted that many of his peers feel the same way. "It speaks volumes that guys like me are speaking out from retirement about the leadership climate in the Department of Defense," he said in another interview earlier Wednesday on CNN. Batiste's comments resonate especially within the Army because it is widely known there that he was offered a promotion to three-star rank to return to Iraq and be the No. 2 U.S. military officer there, but declined because he no longer wished to serve under Rumsfeld. Also, before going to Iraq, he worked at the highest level of the Pentagon, serving as the senior military assistant to Paul Wolfowitz, then the deputy secretary of defense.

Batiste said that he believes the administration's handling of the Iraq war has violated fundamental military principles, such as unity of command and unity of effort. In other interviews, Batiste has said that he thinks that the violation of another military principle of ensuring there is an adequate number of forces helped create the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal by putting too much responsibility on incompetent officers and undertrained troops.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Another_retired_general_calls_for_Rumsfeld_0412.html

[Disturbed]

1. Rumsfailed should be Impeached.

Rumsfailed should be Impeached.

Charles Rangle has drawn up Impeachment Articles regarding Rumsfailed. Yes, a Sec. of Defense can be Impeached. Impeachment would bring out the crimes that Rumsfailed has commited. He should not be allowed to resign without criminal charges being brought.

Rumsfailed Admitted to Violating Geneva Convention

Rumsfailed admitted in public on TV that when CIA Director Tenet requested that an Iraqi prisoner be sent to a secret Afghan/US Prison that Rumsfailed did so. After four months a DOD Attorney stated that this was an illegal act. Rumsfailed then ordered that this prisoner be sent back to Abu Graihib but the prisoner was purposefully not listed at that location, also an illegal act. Rumsfeld also admitted to signing orders for tougher interogation methods which violated the Geneva Conventions.

Rumfailed has commited at least three violations of the Geneva Convention thereby also violating of The Constitution of the USA. Recently it has been found out that even more detainees were "ghost detainees". The fact that Rumsfailed and Tenet have not been charged speaks volumes. If Congress wishes to garner any respect they should move forward with Rep. Rangle's Impeachment Declaration of Rumsfailed and also prosecute Ex. CIA Tenet.

The US, Govt., Congress, and the Justice Dept no longer abide by the Geneva Convention or the Constitution of the USA.

[cynatnite]

2. Link? n/t

[Disturbed]

3. No link. I heard Reummy say this on TV in 2005.

The Rangle Impeachment is probably on the Net. I will go search for it now.

[killbotfactory]

4. I'd like to see Rummy get the boot...

But then again, Bush would just find someone worse to replace him.

[wicket]

5. Holy moly!

:wow:

[Alamom]

6. This is the most current info I could find....No go. Maybe

someone else can find something more current and encouraging.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/13/AR2005121301645.html


WAPO

By Al Kamen

Wednesday, December 14, 2005;

Talk about taking the high road. Back in May 2004, Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) introduced a resolution in the House to impeach Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld for all manner of high crimes and misdemeanors.

Article I of the resolution said Rumsfeld "urged and oversaw the preemptive invasion and occupation of Iraq under the false premise that the United States was in imminent danger of attack from weapons of mass destruction and that Saddam Hussein was involved with al Qaeda" in the 9/11 attack.


As such, Rumsfeld "acted in a manner contrary to his trust . . . and through his malfeasance has offended and embarrassed the American people, undermined United States credibility around the world and increased the danger to American troops and civilians around the world," the resolution said.

The following eight articles blame Rumsfeld for misappropriating funds, sending "troops into war undermanned and under-equipped" and contributing to an "atmosphere of lawlessness" in military prisons in Iraq.

The resolution, of course, went nowhere.





http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ny15_rangel/CBRRumsfeld050604.html



WASHINGTON, May 6, 2004 -- Cong. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), a member of Congress since 1971 and a Korean war combat veteran, today called for the impeachment of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld unless he resigns or President Bush removes him from office.


Several months ago, I called for the resignation of the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, because I thought that, as a major architect of this war, he was fighting this war with other people's children. And when Rumsfeld said he did not know whether we were winning or losing the war; when he said he did not know if we were creating more terrorists than we were killing; when he said that we had no plan to end the war and that it was a slog - I, as a former combat veteran, thought: Is this the kind leadership that we can expect from the Secretary of Defense?

“America and the Military deserve better than this. He should resign. And now the information we receive is that a climate has been created where a handful of people have committed these atrocities against humankind. In an atmosphere where all of the people in Iraq have been demonized; where it appears to Americans and to our military that the people in Iraq are responsible for September 11 and causing us pain; where Secretary Rumsfeld did have information months ago on these atrocities and kept it from the President, kept it from the Congress, and kept it from the American people - I think that this rises to the point that it is a high crime and misdemeanor if he disappointed the President, kept information from the Congress and kept this information from the American people.

“I think America and the world want us to show the outrage not with rhetoric but with action! And, if the President does not fire Secretary Rumsfeld, or if he does not resign, I think it is the responsibility of this Congress to file articles of impeachment and force him to out of office. Then, the whole world will know - not just the military - not just Americans, but the whole world will know what we stand for!