Rumsfeld makes first public testimony since criticism from former generals

WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Wednesday that using 6,000 National Guard troops to help secure the U.S. border with Mexico will not detract from the troops' ability to perform other missions at home and abroad. He said it would sharpen their skills.\nThe troops would be less than 2 percent of the National Guard's force of 400,000 and would mostly serve during their two- or three-week active duty training period, Rumsfeld told the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee.\n"This will not only not adversely affect America's ability to conduct the war on terror or respond to other domestic emergencies, it will actually provide useful real-life training for the members of the National Guard," he added.\nIn mostly amicable exchanges with Democratic panel members on the war in Iraq, Rumsfeld was pressed to discuss the prospects for bringing U.S. troops home. He said, as he has often, that it depends largely on political progress in Baghdad and continued progress in training and equipping Iraqi security forces.\nSen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., told Rumsfeld he saw no convincing evidence that the administration's claims of progress in training Iraqi security forces are supported by the facts on the ground. He pressed Rumsfeld to say whether the American public could be assured of a major U.S. troop withdrawal by year's end.\n"I can't promise it," Rumsfeld said, adding that he nonetheless is hopeful that it will happen.\nGen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who testified with Rumsfeld, was asked by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., whether U.S. troops could withdraw completely from any of Iraq's 18 provinces within the next three months.\n"No, sir," Pace replied.\nThere are now about 132,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.\nIt was Rumsfeld's first public testimony on Capitol Hill since several retired generals publicly criticized Rumsfeld on the Iraq war and in some cases called for his resignation. Rumseld, who seems to have weather that storm, was asked by two committee Democrats what he thought about the criticism.\nRumsfeld said he agreed it was a "relatively unusual thing," but added that it should not be a surprise, given the kinds of pressure Rumsfeld has put on the Defense Department's leaders to change.\nSen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., asked Rumsfeld and Pace whether the generals' criticism had a negative affect on the troops.\n"As far as morale of the force, no impact, sir," Pace said.\n"I haven't noticed anything," Rumsfeld said.\nRumsfeld said the White House budget office was still considering whether the beefed-up border operation would require an immediate congressional appropriation of extra funds. The Department of Homeland Security, which is leading the border security program, has yet to tell the Pentagon exactly what missions it wants the Guard to perform, he added.\n"Our forces would not be doing law enforcement or standing on the border arresting people or anything like that," he said. Instead they will be providing surveillance, communications and construction help.\nBush's plan has drawn criticism from some members of Congress who say it might overextend a Guard force that already has sent many thousands of troops to Iraq and Afghanistan and deployed others after last year's rugged hurricane season. Analysts have also questioned how much impact the Guard would have along the 2,000 mile-long Mexican border.\nSen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., told Rumsfeld that if the Bush administration had not opposed his previous efforts to provide funds to increase the size of the Border Patrol, there would be no need now to call on the National Guard for border duty. Byrd also asked Rumsfeld why the Department of Homeland Security could not contract with private companies to perform the work being assigned to the National Guard.\nRumsfeld said the Guard troops are needed simply as a short-term measure until Homeland Security could expand its capabilities. He said the Guard role would not last longer than two years.\nAs Rumsfeld finished his opening remarks, a woman standing in the back of the hearing room shouted: "Liar!"\n"Whoever that is, would security please remove them," Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, the subcommittee chairman said.\nA uniformed officer approached the woman, who wore a hot pink T-shirt that said "Stop The War Now" and bore the number 2,450, an apparent reference to the number of U.S. military members who have died in Iraq. She was escorted out without a struggle.\nRumsfeld was testifying on President Bush's 2007 defense budget request and the administration's request for an extra $65 billion to cover costs in Iraq and Afghanistan this year. He told the panel that the Pentagon needs the money available by the end of this month to avoid interfering with important military projects, including the training and equipping of security forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.