Washington, DC – U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today made the following statement on the resignation of U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld:
“I welcome the President’s decision today to replace Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld with former CIA Director Robert Gates. While Secretary Rumsfeld and I have had our differences, he deserves Americans’ respect and gratitude for his many years of public service. He has mine.
“This important change offers the administration and Congress a fresh opportunity to examine all aspects of our strategy and tactics in Iraq, and make whatever changes are necessary to succeed there. I look forward to discussing with Secretary-designate Gates his ideas for correcting the mistakes of the past – whether we are following the right strategy today, and whether or not we have sufficient forces in Iraq to provide the level of security that is indispensable to defeating the insurgency, and achieving a political resolution of sectarian conflict there. I also intend to discuss with Mr. Gates the urgent necessity of increasing the size of the Army and Marine Corps to alleviate the terrible strain on our active duty forces, Guard and Reserve, and meet the many challenges that confront us in this difficult time.
“I believe this change today also provides an opportunity for greater bipartisan cooperation on Iraq policy – for Republicans and Democrats of good will to work together toward securing victory.
“Victory is still attainable in Iraq. Our defeat there would have very dangerous consequences for the United States, our allies, and those Iraqis who have risked their lives to work with us. It is difficult to imagine the United States escaping from the chaos that would ensue in Iraq and in the broader Middle East without serious damage to our most vital interests, not to mention our standing in the world. We must prevail. However weary Americans are of the war in Iraq, doing what we must do to win there will bring our troops home as quickly as we can, with the victory that they have sacrificed so much to achieve.”
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