{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-572d6a42.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-f4d0de30.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='Rumsfeld, Kennedy, Abizaid, al-Jaafari on Capitol Hill' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c1d2d8eafeecae15514b' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c1d2d8eafeecae15514b' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nRumsfeld, Kennedy, Abizaid, al-Jaafari on Capitol Hill\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003e1. SOUNDBITE: (English) Senator Carl Levin, Democrat - Michigan:\"General Abizaid could you give us your assessment of the strength of the insurgency? Is it less strong, more strong, about the same strength as about six months ago?2....\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003e1. SOUNDBITE: (English) Senator Carl Levin, Democrat - Michigan:\u003cbr/\u003e\"General Abizaid could you give us your assessment of the strength of the insurgency? Is it less strong, more strong, about the same strength as about six months ago?\u003cbr/\u003e2. SOUNDBITE: (English) General John Abizaid, Commander, U.S. Central Command:\u003cbr/\u003e\"Senator in terms of comparison to six months ago, in terms of foreign fighters I believe there are more foreign fighters coming into Iraq than there were six months ago.  In terms of the strength of the insurgency, I would say it is the same as it was.\"\u003cbr/\u003e3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Senator Carl Levin, Democrat - Michigan:\u003cbr/\u003e\"So you wouldn't agree with the statement that it is 'in its last throes'?\"\u003cbr/\u003e4. SOUNDBITE: (English) General John Abizaid, Commander, U.S. Central Command:\u003cbr/\u003e\"I don't know that I would make any comment about that, other than to say there is a lot of work to be done against the insurgency.\"\u003cbr/\u003e5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Senator Carl Levin, Democrat - Michigan:\u003cbr/\u003e\"The Vice President has said it is 'in its last throes' that is the statement (from) the Vice President.  Doesn't sound to me from your testimony or any other testimony here this morning that it is in its last throes.\"\u003cbr/\u003e6. SOUNDBITE: (English) General John Abizaid, Commander, U.S. Central Command::\u003cbr/\u003e\"I'm sure you will forgive me from criticising the Vice President.\"\u003cbr/\u003e14. SOUNDBITE: (English) Senator Carl Levin, Democrat - Michigan:\u003cbr/\u003e\"I just want an honest assessment from you as to whether you agree to a particular statement of his. Its not personal, I just want to know whether you agree with that assessment.\"\u003cbr/\u003e7. Back view of hearing\u003cbr/\u003e8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Senator Edward Kennedy, Democrat - Massachusetts:\u003cbr/\u003e\"So basically you have mismanaged the war and created an impossible situation for military recruiters and put our forces and our national security in danger. Our troops deserve better, Mr Secretary, I think the American people deserve better. They deserve competency and they deserve the facts. In baseball it is three strikes and you are out, what is it for the Secretary of Defence?\"\u003cbr/\u003e9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Donald Rumsfeld, U.S. Secretary of Defence:\u003cbr/\u003e\"Well that is quite a statement. First let me say that there isn't a person at this table who agrees with you that we are in a quagmire and that there is no end in sight. The presentations today have been very clear, they've been very forthright.\"\u003cbr/\u003e10. Wide view of hearing\u003cbr/\u003e11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Senator Edward Kennedy, Democrat - Massachusetts:\u003cbr/\u003e\"But Mr Secretary I am talking about misjudgements and mistakes that are made, a series that I have mentioned, disarming of the Iraqi army - those were judgements and there have been a series of gross errors and mistakes on your watch. Those were on your watch. Isn't it time for you to resign?\"\u003cbr/\u003e12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Donald Rumsfeld, U.S. Secretary of Defence:\u003cbr/\u003e\"Senator, I have offered my resignation to the President twice and he has decided that he would prefer not to accept it and that is his call.\"\u003cbr/\u003e12. Cutaway generals\u003cbr/\u003e13. Wide view of hearing room\u003cbr/\u003e14. SOUNDBITE: (English) Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican - South Carolina:\u003cbr/\u003e\"In the last year sir, the public support in my state has turned. And I worry about that because that is the only way we will ever leave before we should, if the public looses faith in us. And I am here to tell you sir in the most patriotic state I can imagine people are beginning to question and I don't think it is a blip on the radar screen. I think we have a chronic problem on our hands.\"\u003cbr/\u003e15. Wide view of witnesses\u003cbr/\u003e16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Donald Rumsfeld, U.S. Secretary of Defence:\u003cbr/\u003e\"Finally, the question is asked when can the Coalition leave? And should Congress establish a deadline to withdraw? Some in Congress have suggested that deadlines be set, that would be a mistake as Senator Levin has said. It would throw a lifeline to terrorists who have in recent months suffered significant losses and casualties, been denied havens and suffered weakened popular support. Timing in war is never predictable. There are no guarantees and any who say that we have lost this war or that we are loosing this war are wrong. We are not.\"\u003cbr/\u003eWashington, DC - 23 June 2005\u003cbr/\u003e17. Close-up Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari with U.S. Senators\u003cbr/\u003e18. Tilt up al-Jaafari signing visitors book in House International Relations committee room\u003cbr/\u003eThe top American commander in the Persian Gulf told Congress on Thursday that the Iraqi insurgency has not grown weaker over the past six months, despite a claim by Vice President Dick Cheney that it was in its \"last throes.\"\u003cbr/\u003eGeneral John Abizaid's testimony came at a contentious Senate Armed Services Committee hearing at which Defence Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld clashed with members of both parties, including a renewed call by Senator Edward M. Kennedy for him to step down.\u003cbr/\u003eCommittee Democrats and some Republicans on the panel accused the administration of being overly optimistic, including Cheney's observation last month about the state of the insurgency.\u003cbr/\u003eAbizaid told the panel: \"I believe there are more foreign fighters coming into Iraq than there were six months ago.\" \u003cbr/\u003eAs to the overall strength of the insurgency, Abizaid said it was \"about the same\" as six months ago.\u003cbr/\u003eCiting what he called repeated \"gross errors and mistakes\" in the U.S. military campaign in Iraq, Kennedy asked Rumsfeld: \"Isn't it time for you to resign?\"\u003cbr/\u003eRumsfeld shot back that he had offered his resignation to the president twice, saying that President Bush had decided not to accept it.\u003cbr/\u003eKennedy has called for Rumsfeld's resignation before.\u003cbr/\u003eRumsfeld, Abizaid and other top defence officials were grilled on the future presence of U.S. troops in Iraq. \u003cbr/\u003eEven some Republicans expressed open scepticism with US policy in Iraq, with US deaths now surpassing 1,700 since the war began in March 2003.\u003cbr/\u003eRepublican Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina told the Secretary that public support for Iraq in his state was turning against the Bush administration.\u003cbr/\u003eAs to proposals from some lawmakers to set a timetable for US withdrawal, Rumsfeld said: \"That would be a mistake.\"\u003cbr/\u003eFurther he told the Senate Armed Services Committee. \"Those who say we are losing this war are wrong. We are not.\"\u003cbr/\u003eCongressional Democrats are demanding answers about the future presence of US troops in Iraq.\u003cbr/\u003eThe Bush administration contends that Iraqis must be able to defend their own country against a lethal insurgency before a timeline for bringing home troops can be considered.\u003cbr/\u003eIn recent weeks, insurgents have increasingly targeted Iraqi security forces and US casualties, war spending and public scepticism continue to climb, ruffling both Republicans and Democrats.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='action-container flex justify-between'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' aria-label='Read more description' class='rp-full-description' type='button'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cspan id='read_more'\u003eRead More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-report'\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv 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