US: Two retired generals have expressed support for US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld as a new voice has joined the clamour of retired senior officers calling for his resignation over the conduct of the Iraq war.
Former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Richard Myers and Tommy Franks, a former commander in Iraq, defended Mr Rumsfeld but former Nato commander Wesley Clark said the defence secretary should step down.
Gen Myers dismissed claims that Mr Rumsfeld had bullied senior officers and ignored their advice on how to conduct the campaign on Iraq.
"You'd have to believe that everybody in the chain of command is intimidated, and I don't believe that. In our system, when it's all said and done . . . the civilians make the decisions and we live by those decisions," he said.
The criticism of Mr Rumsfeld comes amid reports that the Bush administration is considering military strikes against Iran to prevent that country achieving a nuclear weapons capability.
Mr Clark dismissed a suggestion that it was the wrong time to criticise the defence secretary.
"It's more than an appropriate time. This country needed a better policy from the 2001 period on," he said.
The defence department this weekend issued a memorandum defending Mr Rumsfeld and insisting that he consults thoroughly with senior officers.
"US senior military leaders are involved to an unprecedented degree in every decision-making process in the department of defence," the message said.
Congressman Christopher Shays, a moderate Connecticut Republican who is struggling to save his seat in November's congressional elections on account of his support for the war in Iraq, said Mr Rumsfeld's resignation would help candidates like him.
"Do I think someone else would do a better job, and if someone else would do a better job, does it help me? Of course it would," he said.
Democratic senator Christopher Dodd yesterday described the criticism of Mr Rumsfeld from retired generals as a "very, very important" event.
"We ought to pay a lot of attention. And the president would be very wise, in my view, asking him to step aside," he said.
Mr Bush issued a statement last week expressing full confidence in Mr Rumsfeld.