Retired Lt. Gen. Greg Newbold in Time, assails Rumsfeld war planning

Time magazine has had some of the most distinguished war reporting. Now, in an article this week by retired Lt. Gen. Greg Newbold, it publishes an outstanding critique of Donald Rumsfeld and a call for new war leadership.

It took Lincoln little more than a year to sack Gen. McClellan. President Bush needs to bring on a new defense secretary.

Gen. Newbold is one of the most persuasive arguments yet for new leadership, although he acknowledges that the war against al-Qaeda must necessarily go on.


Next week the Times new assistant foreign news editor, David Lauter, is going to Baghdad. I was critical of David's appointment initially, but he is going to Iraq with an open mind and his report when he returns home will, I'm sure, be helpful.

I hear news, by the way, from his wife, that Bill Stall, The Times prize winning Sacramento writer, has had a second heart attack. Evaluation is underway, but we all wish Stall well.