Troops Get a Chance to Question Rumsfeld - WaPo

Moments after Donald H. Rumsfeld said how much more "fun" it was be questioned by the troops in Baghdad than the critics in Washington, the troops in the Iraqi capital hit the defense secretary with a barrage of serious, probing and sometimes personal inquiries, some of which, he confessed, he just could not answer.

One soldier asked when they were going to get improved vests and better armor for the Humvees. It's those roadside bombs, he said. "We lost some soldiers due to them."

Another asked whether it was true that the military would not pay their full air fare back home.

Yet another wanted to know why his military medical coverage wouldn't handle physical therapy for his handicapped child.

When, if ever, would the United Nations send some troops and where would they come from?

Would Defense Department employees who are civilians working with the military be permitted to carry guns, asked a civilian working with the military?

The entire town hall meeting was televised live on CNN.

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Wow - a press conference with real people asking the questions for a change.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24117-2004May13.html

Hope that's not a dupe as well and there's not a third kicking around somewhere.

I'll just defer to my comments on the other thread.