Newsday.com: Pentagon: Saddam-Era General Was Mistake: "Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said at a news conference that 'public vetting' has been used for many Iraqi officials.
'You try to vet against a list, a database. But the real vetting comes when someone's head pops up. People look at him and say, `No, no.'' he said.
Saleh moved into Fallujah on Friday to lead an all-Iraqi force as part of an agreement to restore order in the city, where a siege has killed 10 Marines and hundreds of Iraqis.
Rumsfeld said he was told that Saleh had been recommended by someone on the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council. U.S. Central Command asked Saleh to begin organizing Iraqis in Fallujah, Rumsfeld said. 'He had some success.'
But concerns about Saleh's past led to his removal as commander. He will likely be replaced by Maj. Gen. Mohammed Abdul-Latif, a former military intelligence officer who was imprisoned by Saddam.
Rumsfeld said 'the vetting was imperfect' on Saleh. Though he hasn't seen anything conclusive that Saleh 'has blood on his hands,' Rumsfeld said 'there was enough question that the people, again, on the ground made a judgment that a different individual, Gen. Latif, would be preferable, and less risky, if you will.'
Col. John Coleman, chief of staff for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in the western Anbar province that includes Fallujah, said Saleh will be part of the 1,000-member Fallujah Brigade.
Rumsfeld said U.S. forces 'intend to take back the city and conduct joint patrols in the immediate future.' He said that could happen 'by force by the U.S. Marines' or through peaceful means, 'but one way or another it will be done.'"
'You try to vet against a list, a database. But the real vetting comes when someone's head pops up. People look at him and say, `No, no.'' he said.
Saleh moved into Fallujah on Friday to lead an all-Iraqi force as part of an agreement to restore order in the city, where a siege has killed 10 Marines and hundreds of Iraqis.
Rumsfeld said he was told that Saleh had been recommended by someone on the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council. U.S. Central Command asked Saleh to begin organizing Iraqis in Fallujah, Rumsfeld said. 'He had some success.'
But concerns about Saleh's past led to his removal as commander. He will likely be replaced by Maj. Gen. Mohammed Abdul-Latif, a former military intelligence officer who was imprisoned by Saddam.
Rumsfeld said 'the vetting was imperfect' on Saleh. Though he hasn't seen anything conclusive that Saleh 'has blood on his hands,' Rumsfeld said 'there was enough question that the people, again, on the ground made a judgment that a different individual, Gen. Latif, would be preferable, and less risky, if you will.'
Col. John Coleman, chief of staff for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in the western Anbar province that includes Fallujah, said Saleh will be part of the 1,000-member Fallujah Brigade.
Rumsfeld said U.S. forces 'intend to take back the city and conduct joint patrols in the immediate future.' He said that could happen 'by force by the U.S. Marines' or through peaceful means, 'but one way or another it will be done.'"
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