Iraq Vets Call for Hearings on Rumsfeld Critics

This is from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America:

"These generals have commanded hundreds-of-thousands of men and women on the ground in Iraq, and the Senate Armed Services must acknowledge that their perspective is exceptionally valuable," said Paul Rieckhoff, who spent one year in Baghdad as an Infantry Platoon Leader and now serves as the Executive Director of IAVA: Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

"This is not about partisanship, it's about national security and the strength of our military. The members of the Armed Services Committee should vote unanimously to allow these generals, who've devoted their entire careers to the military, to officially register their criticisms," Rieckhoff said. "Regardless of your perspective on the war in Iraq, we should all be interested in moving forward on the best possible course. That means also acknowledging what mistakes have been made, and what needs to change to prevent those same mistakes. If there are other military leaders who dispute the perspective of these generals, then the committee should seek their input as well."

"These generals are the representatives of our men and women in uniform, and we must value their perspective," said Rieckhoff. "The members of the Senate Armed Services Committee must reaffirm their commitment to our Troops by doing everything in their power to ensure that this war, and our military as a whole, is being managed in the best way possible. If that's not the case, then they must also demand accountability."