Rumsfeld stands, despite critics

The secretary of defense remains in office to the chagrin of his opponents.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- When Donald H. Rumsfeld became defense secretary in 2001, he posted a chatty list of rules to live and work by on the Pentagon's Web site. "Rumsfeld's Rules," as they were called, are long gone now. But two of them in particular resonate during this time of war and recrimination.
"Reserve the right to get into anything, and exercise it," says one, written long before Rumsfeld helped to steer the United States into war in Iraq.
"Be able to resign," says a second. "It will improve your value to the president and do wonders for your performance."
Rumsfeld has offered to resign at least twice since then and has survived countless calls for his head.
His leadership in war and his accountability for unfolding events, including the alleged massacre of Iraqi civilians at Haditha by Marines, nonetheless are very much a source of contentious debate in Washington and beyond.
Some critics say the Haditha killings, while not directly tied to the defense secretary, are symptomatic of broader problems with the U.S. war effort in Iraq and add new weight to persistent calls for his resignation.
"The alleged atrocity in Haditha, the national embarrassment of Abu Ghraib, the past three years of chaos in Iraq can all be traced right back to his war plan," says retired Maj. Gen. John Batiste, one of several retired generals who have urged Rumsfeld's ousting. "It was his war plan that that took us to war."
Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., who has emerged as one of Rumsfeld's most vocal critics, blames the killings in part on the tremendous strains felt by troops who have been deployed over and over, causing them to "crack" under pressure. He has called repeatedly for Rumsfeld's resignation.
Rumsfeld's defenders -- and even some critics -- put distance between the secretary and the killings in Haditha, which they describe as a rogue operation.
White House spokesman Tony Snow dismissed the notion that the alleged massacre reflects on Rumsfeld's leadership.
"How would that be the case?" he asked. "It's a leap. ... It's presumptuous."
Former Rumsfeld adviser Lawrence Di Rita said it would be "unfortunate if people tried to make this into a political situation," saying the military is treating the allegations seriously and aggressively investigating.
While congressional hearings may be warranted, Di Rita said, "when politicians get involved, it rarely improves the matter."
Rumsfeld, 74, says all the sniping at him over the years is simply a reflection of his willingness to take a stand on tough issues.
Surviving Haditha
Besieged with reporters' questions about Haditha in recent days, he has been determined to go about business as usual.
He kept away from reporters Thursday during a nearly daylong flight to Asia. Asked about the matter Friday after arriving in Singapore for a defense ministers' conference, Rumsfeld would say only that the Marines are handling the investigation, and he believes it is being done properly.
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