An Apparently Ironclad Job: Defense Secretary

Donald Rumsfeld’s response to the soldiers in Iraq regarding insufficient vehicle armor (Dec. 9) should be his last comment as secretary of Defense.

Excusing the lack of protection for soldiers’ vehicles by suggesting there are many more ways to die than from lack of armor -- and therefore by implication: Stop whining and get out there and fight -- demonstrates a callous disregard for life. I wonder if he’d be willing to take the risk quietly or at all if he had to face the constant threat of improvised explosive devices, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars.

Test of wills indeed.

Bill Spater

La Crescenta

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The Times Dec. 8 editorial (“ ‘You’re (Not) Fired!’ ”) wonders why Rumsfeld was not fired in President Bush’s Cabinet overhaul. “Almost laughable,” you opined.

Maybe he told the president, “Either keep me or I write a book.”

Jack Tracy

Port Hueneme

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Re “For Displaced Falloujans, a New Battle Underway,” Dec. 8: I am impressed by how well the attack on Fallouja seemed to work. After leveling the city and sending it back to the Middle Ages (estimates are that three to five years of rebuilding are needed) and killing an undetermined number of Iraqis and losing the lives of 50 Marines, the attacks by “insurgents” in Iraq are worse than ever. Losses over the last month are the worst since the war began. The CIA has also admitted in a note made public this week that the situation is deteriorating in Iraq and only going to get worse. But Bush and his minions keep the lies coming about things getting better. If this is improvement in Bush’s skewed vision, I would hate to see what real failure and deterioration look like to him.

John C. Hampsey

San Luis Obispo

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Watching distraught families agonizing over loved ones forced to remain in the military under the so-called stop-loss rule, I wonder why this does not apply to generals like Tommy Franks, et al? Their departure smacks of a strategic withdrawal to me.

Vivian Bauman

Riverside