Rumsfeld Strikes Out With Iraq Comments

In “Rumsfeld Denies He’s Being Pushed Aside in Iraq Effort” (Oct. 9), reporters quote Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld -- during their questions concerning the jockeying between the Defense and State departments on the administration’s policy in Iraq -- asking whether there aren’t more important issues, like the Chicago Cubs in the baseball playoffs and the California election.

U.S. service personnel are being killed daily in Iraq. There is the squandering of billions by Bechtel on “surveys” of what should be done to fix the damage inflicted by this war. We can’t even get to the repairs needed because guerrilla attacks keep adding to the disruption. There is the turmoil among the Iraqi people, who claim they were better off before the invasion and bombing. And Rumsfeld thinks we should be focused on baseball!

Frances Spielberg

Pacific Palisades

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The commander in chief should examine his Defense secretary’s priorities. Rumsfeld seems to think that the election in California and the Cubs in the playoffs are bigger stories than the reassignment of duties in rebuilding Iraq. Sorry, Don. With thousands of lives sacrificed, hundreds of billions of dollars on the line and world peace at stake, there is no bigger story than Iraq. Pipe down and get to work. Mr. President, get this man back on point or point him to the door.

John De Simio

Los Angeles