Rumsfeld Must Go

From Daily KOS Abu Ghraib Whistleblower Outed by Rumsfeld by DrBob Fri Aug 18, 2006 at 05:51:48 AM PDT Rumsfeld must go. I'm hardly the first politician to say this ... it's practically mainstream Democratic position now. There are any number of reasons why he must resign (or be fired); we can't even pretend there's any accountability for the disaster in Iraq if he stays on. But I was listening to NPR earlier this week, and I heard a story I think perfectly captures the man, his lack of respect for the troops, and his slippery bureaucratic nature. It was an interview with Joseph Darby, the courageous soldier who turned in the Abu Ghraib photos. He blew the whistle on what was happening there, and he was promised anonymity by the military. But the military didn't keep to that promise. Donald Rumsfeld outed Joe Darby in open testimony to Congress in April, "thanking" him for his actions. And because of that testimony, Joe Darby's family was stalked, they had to move away from their home, and he feared for his life. Read More: Daily KOS CNN Interviewed Darby on the 15th, excerpt: KAYE: Then, without warning, Darby was suddenly outed. He was in the mess hall watching as the world heard the news. DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: There are many who did their duty professionally, and we should mention that, as well. First, Specialist Joseph Darby, who alerted the appropriate authorities that abuses were occurring. KAYE: Though proud of himself, others in the military and even in his own family called him a traitor, a rat, a whistleblower. He started getting hate mail. He and his family got threats. Fearing for her safety, his wife called the Pentagon for protection. Full Transcript Here: CNN