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WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld issued his strongest rebuttal to date Tuesday of recent comments by retired generals criticizing the Iraq war planning and calling on Rumsfeld to resign.
In particular, Rumsfeld said he doesn't recall retired Lt. Gen. Gregory Newbold raising any objections to the war planning when he was working in the Pentagon for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"He never raised an issue publicly or privately when he was here that I know of," said Rumsfeld.
In an essay in this week's Time magazine, Newbold said he was outspoken in his criticism before the war, saying the "zealots' rationale for war made no sense."
Unresolved: Shi'ite politicians failed Tuesday to break the deadlock over their candidate for prime minister, which is blocking formation of a new government.
Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari's Dawa party and his key backer, radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, continue to stand behind him, said Bassem Sharif, who attended a meeting Tuesday of the seven Shi'ite factions.
Sunni and Kurdish parties oppose al-Jaafari.
The Shi'ite politicians are to meet again today.
Irritated: Iraq won't participate in a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo on efforts to stabilize the country because of comments by Egypt's president questioning the loyalty of Shi'ites, al-Jaafari said Tuesday.
On Saturday, Egypt President Hosni Mubarak said Shi'ites in Iraq and the Middle East are more loyal to Iran than to their own countries. He also said Iraq was on the brink of civil war.
Iraq is one of the few Arab countries with a Shi'ite majority. Iran is also predominantly Shi'ite.
Copyright © 2006 Detroit Free Press Inc.
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