WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Monday reaffirmed that President Bush supports Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld despite a rising chorus of criticism over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners.
Bush, who was to visit the Pentagon later, said last Thursday that Rumsfeld was "an important part of my Cabinet, and he'll stay in my Cabinet."
"I think the president has made his views very well known when it comes to Secretary Rumsfeld," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan when asked whether Bush was wavering in his support for the U.S. defense secretary.
McClellan suggested that a new batch of photographs or videotape of Iraqi prisoner abuses could be released by the Pentagon.
"We are in close contact with the Pentagon on those issues and I think the Pentagon is working to address those issues," he said.
Since his daylong testimony to the U.S. Congress on Friday, no Republican has called publicly for Rumsfeld to step down, though the number of Democrats doing so has grown.
The defense secretary took responsibility for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. forces but said he would not resign just to satisfy political enemies.
On the Sunday television talk shows, however, several leading Republican lawmakers said Rumsfeld still faces scrutiny, as serious questions remain and investigations are continuing.
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Bush, who was to visit the Pentagon later, said last Thursday that Rumsfeld was "an important part of my Cabinet, and he'll stay in my Cabinet."
"I think the president has made his views very well known when it comes to Secretary Rumsfeld," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan when asked whether Bush was wavering in his support for the U.S. defense secretary.
McClellan suggested that a new batch of photographs or videotape of Iraqi prisoner abuses could be released by the Pentagon.
"We are in close contact with the Pentagon on those issues and I think the Pentagon is working to address those issues," he said.
Since his daylong testimony to the U.S. Congress on Friday, no Republican has called publicly for Rumsfeld to step down, though the number of Democrats doing so has grown.
The defense secretary took responsibility for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. forces but said he would not resign just to satisfy political enemies.
On the Sunday television talk shows, however, several leading Republican lawmakers said Rumsfeld still faces scrutiny, as serious questions remain and investigations are continuing.
http://www.reuters.com
