Letter: Retired generals free to criticize Rumsfeld

Thursday, April 20, 2006 | 7:42 a.m.

In your April 19 letters to the editor, J.L. Kane stated that retired military generals somehow have no right to criticize our role in Iraq. Nothing could be further from the truth. They are citizens of this great country first and one tenet that makes this country great is our freedom of speech.

The average citizen is not technically competent to understand the intricacies of waging a war. What we can see, however, is the deception that this administration has foisted on us through its clear misstatements that have been recorded and played back for us on television.

Regarding the carrying out of the war, our retired military owe it to us to tell it like they saw it. It is becoming clear that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has repeated the errors of the Vietnam War.

We all need to show our appreciation for the brave retired military men and women who share with all of us what has gone and is going wrong in Iraq. They, like the rest of us, have the freedom to speak and should be encouraged to use it in these difficult times.

Gary Musser, Las Vegas

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