The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday said federal agencies are not doing everything they could to help the U.S. military win in Iraq, prompting Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to suggest an overhaul of civilian departments to better fight Islamic terrorists.
"What we're not getting," said Sen. John W. Warner, Virginia Republican, "[are] the other elements of our government to bring to bear to conclude this conflict and perform the mission and bring our forces back."...
The Pentagon's complaint is that other agencies, such as Justice, State and Treasury, are not always sending over their best people in sufficient numbers and duration to help the Iraqis build democratic institutions such as courts, banks and police.
Pentagon officials say the issue has been discussed at interagency meetings. But because of federal personnel rules, not all needed workers can be forced to go to a hostile place such as Iraq, and they often serve short six-month tours when they do go...
Warner Hits Lack of Help on Iraq War
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