This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2006, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Posted: 11:18 AM- Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said the war in Iraq is fought just as much in the media as it is on the ground, and in that media war America is losing.
"Those who know the truth need to speak out against the myths and distortions," he told the crowd of veterans at the American Legion conference at the Salt Palace this morning. "America is not what is wrong with the world."
Rumsfeld criticized the number of newspaper stories on alleged abuses by troops compared to the stories about the first Congressional Medal of Honor recipient from the Iraq War.
He also defended Guantanamo Bay, the Cuba-based prison that holds many alleged terrorists, saying it is "arguably the best run and most scrutinized detention facility" ever.
He called media coverage "inexcusable." Rumsfeld's speech was part of a coordinated White House strategy to aggressively challenge administration critics in the face of increasing public skepticism about U.S. involvement in Iraq The secretary only briefly touched on the war and offered no new insights, rather he repeated a pledge to push forward and urged the Legion to continue backing the troops.
"The question is not whether we can win, the question is whether we have the will to persevere to win."