Rumsfeld: Guard’s Border Duties Will Not Detract From War on Terror

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Rumsfeld said yesterday that using 6,000 National Guard troops to help secure the American border with Mexico will not detract from the troops’ ability to perform other missions at home and abroad. He said it would sharpen their skills.

The troops would be less than 2% of the National Guard’s force of 400,000 and would mostly serve during their two- or three-week active-duty training period, Mr. Rumsfeld told the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee.

“This will not only not adversely affect America’s ability to conduct the war on terror or respond to other domestic emergencies, it will actually provide useful real-life training for the members of the National Guard,” he added.

In mostly amicable exchanges with Democratic panel members on the Iraq war, Mr. Rumsfeld was pressed to discuss the prospects for bringing American troops home. He said, as he has often, that it depends largely on political progress in Baghdad and progress in training and equipping Iraqi forces.

Senator Durbin, a Democrat of Illinois, told Mr. Rumsfeld he saw no convincing evidence that the administration’s claims of progress in training Iraqi security forces are supported by the facts on the ground. He pressed Mr. Rumsfeld to say whether the American public could be assured of a major troop withdrawal by year’s end.

“I can’t promise it,” Mr. Rumsfeld said, adding that he nonetheless is hopeful that it will happen.

General Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who testified with Mr. Rumsfeld, was asked by Senator Leahy, a Democrat of Vermont, whether American troops could withdraw completely from any of Iraq’s 18 provinces within the next three months.

“No, sir,” General Pace replied.

There are now about 132,000 American troops in Iraq.

It was Mr. Rumsfeld’s first public testimony on Capitol Hill since several retired generals publicly criticized him on the Iraq war and in some cases called for his resignation. Mr. Rumsfeld, who seems to have weathered that storm, was asked by two committee Democrats what he thought about the criticism.

He said he agreed it was a “relatively unusual thing,” but added that it should not be a surprise, given the kinds of pressure he has put on the Defense Department’s leaders – civilian and military alike – to change.

Senator Specter, a Republican of Pennsylvania, asked Mr. Rumsfeld and General Pace whether the generals’ criticism had a negative effect on the troops.

“As far as morale of the force, no impact, sir,” General Pace said.

“I haven’t noticed anything,” Mr. Rumsfeld said.

Mr. Rumsfeld said the White House budget office was still considering whether the beefed-up border operation would require an immediate congressional appropriation of extra funds. The Department of Homeland Security, which is leading the border security program, has yet to tell the Pentagon exactly what missions it wants the Guard to perform, he added.

“Our forces would not be doing law enforcement or standing on the border arresting people, or anything like that,” he said. Instead they will be providing surveillance, communications, and construction help.


The New York Sun

© 2024 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use