Head of US military hospital dismissed
Head of US military hospital dismissed
By Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Published: March 2 2007 02:44 | Last updated: March 2 2007 02:44
The Pentagon on Thursday dismissed the head of Walter Reed military hospital for providing abysmal living conditions for wounded soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Robert Gates, US defence secretary, relieved Major General George Weightman as commander of the military facility following a recent Washington Post investigation, which revealed that many soldiers were housed in sub-standard, rodent-infested housing, some were being refused disability benefits, while others with drug and alcohol problems were not receiving adequate care.
“The care and welfare of our wounded men and women in uniform demand the highest standard of excellence and commitment that we can muster as a government,” Mr Gates said yesterday. “When this standard is not met, I will insist on swift and direct corrective action and, where appropriate, accountability up the chain of command.”
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have claimed the lives of 3,525 US troops. But the number of non-fatal casualties is far higher, almost 25,000. More than 11,000 of the wounded soldiers have not returned to the battlefield.
Military analysts say the ratio of soldiers wounded to killed in Iraq and Afghanistan – at about 7:1 – is much higher than for previous conflicts. They attribute the increase to several factors, including improvements in body and vehicle armour, and the fact that the military has better medical facilities in conflict zones. The military has also increased the speed with which it can transfer injured soldiers back to hospitals in the US.
The Pentagon has been quick to condemn the conditions at Walter Reed, which were revealed as President George W. Bush attempts to shore up moribund support for his military “surge” in Iraq. A recent ABC News/Washington Post poll showed that public support for the conflict in Iraq continues to slide. A total of 67 per cent of respondents disapprove of Mr Bush’s hand-ling of Iraq, while another 67 per cent oppose the surge of 21,500 troops.
The Walter Reed scandal has generated bi-partisan criticism from lawmakers who have in recent weeks been more busy debating the merits of the surge.
“Our nation has a duty to honour and support those who have served and sacrificed so much in the defence of our nation,” said Hillary Clinton, the New York Democratic senator who is running for president in 2008. “Yet these recent news reports indicate that for nearly four years since the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began, not enough has been done to assist these courageous men and women in recovering from the wounds of battle.” The Pentagon has appointed Lieutenant General Kevin Kiley, the army surgeon-general, as temporary commander of Walter Reed.
The Washington Post on Thursday reported that Lt Gen Kiley was warned as early as 2003 of problems in the hospital. Senator Barack Obama, another Democratic presidential hopeful, on Thursday accused the administration of underestimating the resources needed to support veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
The response from the Pentagon stands in contrast to the aftermath of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. Donald Rumsfeld, the former secretary of defence, came under criticism for not firing any senior officers over the scandal which tainted the US image worldwide.
By Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
Published: March 2 2007 02:44 | Last updated: March 2 2007 02:44
The Pentagon on Thursday dismissed the head of Walter Reed military hospital for providing abysmal living conditions for wounded soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Robert Gates, US defence secretary, relieved Major General George Weightman as commander of the military facility following a recent Washington Post investigation, which revealed that many soldiers were housed in sub-standard, rodent-infested housing, some were being refused disability benefits, while others with drug and alcohol problems were not receiving adequate care.
“The care and welfare of our wounded men and women in uniform demand the highest standard of excellence and commitment that we can muster as a government,” Mr Gates said yesterday. “When this standard is not met, I will insist on swift and direct corrective action and, where appropriate, accountability up the chain of command.”
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have claimed the lives of 3,525 US troops. But the number of non-fatal casualties is far higher, almost 25,000. More than 11,000 of the wounded soldiers have not returned to the battlefield.
Military analysts say the ratio of soldiers wounded to killed in Iraq and Afghanistan – at about 7:1 – is much higher than for previous conflicts. They attribute the increase to several factors, including improvements in body and vehicle armour, and the fact that the military has better medical facilities in conflict zones. The military has also increased the speed with which it can transfer injured soldiers back to hospitals in the US.
The Pentagon has been quick to condemn the conditions at Walter Reed, which were revealed as President George W. Bush attempts to shore up moribund support for his military “surge” in Iraq. A recent ABC News/Washington Post poll showed that public support for the conflict in Iraq continues to slide. A total of 67 per cent of respondents disapprove of Mr Bush’s hand-ling of Iraq, while another 67 per cent oppose the surge of 21,500 troops.
The Walter Reed scandal has generated bi-partisan criticism from lawmakers who have in recent weeks been more busy debating the merits of the surge.
“Our nation has a duty to honour and support those who have served and sacrificed so much in the defence of our nation,” said Hillary Clinton, the New York Democratic senator who is running for president in 2008. “Yet these recent news reports indicate that for nearly four years since the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began, not enough has been done to assist these courageous men and women in recovering from the wounds of battle.” The Pentagon has appointed Lieutenant General Kevin Kiley, the army surgeon-general, as temporary commander of Walter Reed.
The Washington Post on Thursday reported that Lt Gen Kiley was warned as early as 2003 of problems in the hospital. Senator Barack Obama, another Democratic presidential hopeful, on Thursday accused the administration of underestimating the resources needed to support veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
The response from the Pentagon stands in contrast to the aftermath of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. Donald Rumsfeld, the former secretary of defence, came under criticism for not firing any senior officers over the scandal which tainted the US image worldwide.
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