IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff issued a statement today calling
on the Senate Armed Services Committee to hold hearings including
testimony from the six generals who've called for Sec. Rumsfeld's
resignation.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
CONTACT: Will Coghlan, (212)-982-9699,
Iraq
War Veterans Call for Senate Hearings on Criticism of Defense Secretary Generals should testify before Armed Services Committee
NEW YORK - The nation's
largest organization representing the Troops and Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, IAVA, called on
the Senate Armed Services Committee today to acknowledge the ongoing criticism of
Secretary Rumsfeld and hold hearings including testimony by the six generals who've
called for his resignation.
"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."
IAVA is the nation's largest Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans'
organization, representing more than 1000 Troops and Veterans in all 50 states,
and over 50,000 civilian supporters. For more information, or to arrange an
interview with Paul Rieckhoff, please contact Will Coghlan at (212)-982-9699 or
.
