Rumsfeld Rejects Reports Saying US Military Overextended

Voice of America, United States Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has disputed two reports released Wednesday that say the U.S. military is overextended by operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. 
 
Rumsfeld said during Wednesday's Pentagon briefing that U.S. military forces are “not broken” but “enormously capable” and “battle-hardened.” He said the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq have shown the power of the U.S. military. 
 
Rumsfeld was reacting to two separate reports. One was from an outside military expert commissioned by the Pentagon, who warned of the dangers of faltering morale among U.S. Army forces and eroding public support for the war in Iraq. 
 
The other report was headed by former U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry, who served under Democratic President Bill Clinton. It said the U.S. military's ground forces are so overstretched that potential adversaries may be tempted to challenge the United States. The report warned of long-term effects on U.S. forces if the strain is not relieved.