WASHINGTON, April 14 (UPI) -- President Bush Friday rejected calls for the ouster of U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld Friday, saying his leadership is "critical."
The statement followed mounting calls by five retired generals for Rumsfeld to resign. The generals say the secretary does not listen to military experts.
"I have seen first-hand how Don relies upon our military commanders in the field and at the Pentagon to make decisions about how best to complete these missions," Bush said in a statement issued by the White House. "Secretary Rumsfeld's energetic and steady leadership is exactly what is needed at this critical period. He has my full support and deepest appreciation."
Retired Army Maj. Gen. John Batiste, who commanded a division in Iraq, was the latest former top commander to speak out against what he and others call the secretary's authoritarian style and the lack of planning before the invasion of Iraq.
