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Pentagon says Rumsfeld nixed Bremer troop request

Posted on: Monday, 9 January 2006, 16:42 CST

By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld turned down a request in May 2004 by Paul Bremer, the U.S. diplomat governing Iraq at the time, for hundreds of thousands more U.S. troops during a particularly violent period in the Iraq war, the Pentagon acknowledged on Monday.

Bremer, who governed Iraq for 13 months after President Saddam Hussein was toppled, said in an NBC interview aired on Sunday that he wrote a memo in May 2004 to Rumsfeld suggesting that about 500,000 U.S. troops were needed, more than three times the 142,000 in Iraq at the time.

Congressional critics in both parties argued at the time that the Pentagon had deployed too few troops to maintain order, restore essential services and combat an insurgency that was escalating in spring 2004. April 2004, the month before Bremer's memo, was the deadliest of the war to date for U.S. forces.

Lawrence Di Rita, chief Pentagon spokesman, told reporters Rumsfeld asked Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and top commanders in Iraq to evaluate Bremer's recommendation and others.

"There was a specific conclusion that the military commanders reaffirmed their belief that the level that they had there was the proper level," Di Rita said. "The secretary relied on the judgment of the military commanders."

"He (Bremer) had views on a variety of things over time that he shared. He, I think, would be the first to acknowledge he wasn't responsible for military force levels. He, on many times, demurred (in media interviews) when asked what the proper levels of forces were during the course of his tenure there, properly," Di Rita added.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan added, "The president believes that the decisions about our troop levels ought to be based on the recommendations of our military commanders who are on the ground in Iraq. They're the ones who are in the best position to say what they need to complete the mission."

ESCALATING INSURGENCY

As head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, Bremer was the Bush administration's top official in Iraq from May 2003, the month after Saddam was driven from power, until the United States returned sovereignty in June 2004, at which time he left.

Bremer, who is publicizing a book on his experiences, said he "never had any reaction" from Rumsfeld on his memo.

"This was weeks before Jerry left," said Di Rita, using Bremer's nickname. "So it's not clear to me that he expected an answer." Di Rita noted this was the only time Bremer offered advice on troop levels.

Bremer also said it was not fair to fault him for a decision made shortly after his arrival to disband the Iraqi military. This reversed plans by Jay Garner, his predecessor in Iraq, to harness Iraq's military to help rebuild the country.

Saddam had used the military to reinforce his hold on power, but some experts contend that former members of the disbanded military, suddenly jobless, went on to help form the insurgency.

Bremer said "it wasn't me" who was responsible for the decision, which he said was approved "in Washington" based on his recommendation. Supporters of the decision said the military had effectively disbanded itself with thousands deserting in the face of the U.S.-led invasion.

Di Rita called disbanding the military "a complex decision," adding, "It could have gone either way."

"It was fully vetted by people here, but it was ultimately Jerry's decision, and he had that authority as the head of the CPA," Di Rita said.

(Additional reporting by Tabassum Zakaria)

Source: REUTERS

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