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US president stands behind Rumsfeld

US President George W. Bush on Friday expressed "strong support" for embattled Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld who has faced calls to resign from retired generals and opposition politicians.

"He has my full support and deepest appreciation," Bush said in a statement released after he had spoken to Rumsfeld about military operations in the US-led "war on terror."

"I reiterated my strong support for his leadership during this historic and challenging time for our nation," the statement said.

Six retired generals, some of whom led troops in Iraq, have spoken out against Rumsfeld in recent days, accusing him of arrogance, ignoring his field commanders, and micro-management.

The president said the defense department has "many difficult missions" in Afghanistan, Iraq and other zones.

"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. Secretary Rumsfeld's energetic and steady leadership is exactly what is needed at this critical period," he said.

Rumsfeld dismissed the resignation calls in an interview with Al Arabiya television aired on Friday.

"Out of thousands and thousands of admirals and generals, if every time two or three people disagreed we changed the secretary of defense of the United States it would be like a merry-go-round," he said.

Rumsfeld has previously that said he twice offered his resignation to Bush during the Abu Ghraib prisoner-abuse scandal in Iraq, but the president declined to accept it.

Bush's move to issue a statement backing a member of his Cabinet was highly unusual, as has been the open criticism by the retired high-ranking military officers.

Asked why Bush felt the need to issue the statement, White House chief of staff Andy Card said: "The secretary of defense is being challenged and he is doing a great job, and the president said he is doing a great job."

Critics have accused Rumsfeld of bullying senior military officers and disregarding their views. They often cite his dismissal of then-Army Chief of Staff General Eric Shinseki's opinion a month before the 2003 invasion that occupying Iraq could require several hundred thousand troops, a larger force than was sent.
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