Helen Thomas: Hand Rumsfeld his walking papers!

[G_j]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/188550_thomas31.html


Tuesday, August 31, 2004

Hand Rumsfeld his walking papers

By HELEN THOMAS
HEARST NEWSPAPERS

WASHINGTON --The time has come for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to leave his Pentagon post, either by dismissal or resignation.

Two separate reports last week make it clear that Rumsfeld and other top Pentagon officials were ultimately responsible for the sadistic abuse of prisoners in Iraq's infamous Abu Ghraib.

A report by a four-member panel headed by former Defense Secretary James Schlesinger traced the mistreatment of prisoners in Iraq to failures that went all the way up the chain of command in the Pentagon.

Another military report Wednesday said 27 people attached to intelligence agencies as well as four private contractors participated in abuses, some tantamount to torture, of prisoners.

..more..

[Bandit]

1. The buck shouldn't stop there

The whole Bush* Cabal is responsible and needs to go.

[bloom]

2. Democracy Now is having interviews with her all this week.

That's a great article.

[JitterbugPerfume]

3. Helen Thomas

is a great American Journalist


a dying breed

[G_j]

4. yup

she deserves much gratitude.

[in_cog_ni_to]

5. She's a National Treasure!

I love that woman! :loveya:

[Fatima]

6. Helen's right again

but don't expect RumsFAILED to step down or be fired for anything, as these people give new definition to the word teflon and it's obvious they can do just about anything they damn well please and get away with it. Only way to get that walking disaster out is to vote his boss out.

[Pallas180]

7. I luv Helen - and they've treated her very badly - the grand old dame of

the WH newscorp.

Despite all of this, the report concluded that Rumsfeld and other senior leaders, including Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, should not be forced to resign.

Since he is a Washington "establishment" figure who headed the Pentagon in the Nixon era, Schlesinger was not about to go any higher than a brigade commander to parcel out responsibility.

Schlesinger said Rumsfeld's resignation would be "a boon to all of America's enemies and consequently, I think that it would be a misfortune if it were to take place."

Wrong. It would show the world that Americans are not afraid to topple leaders when the country is dishonored on their watch. For those who have lived under totalitarian rule, a challenge to the leadership could have dire consequences. But that's not our system. In a democracy, public servants must be held accountable.

Rumsfeld should have thrown in the towel months ago for this scandal.