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Sen. Feinstein: Fire Donald Rumsfeld

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein called on President Bush to fire Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld over his handling of the Iraq war and reduce the number of U.S. troops in Iraq from the current 130,000 to 50,000 by year's end.

Feinstein, D-Calif., said Monday that Bush should replace Rumsfeld and other senior Pentagon officials with new leaders who will start pulling American troops out of Iraq.

"I say it's time to change course, to bring in another team," Feinstein said during a speech before the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. "We should not be putting American soldiers in the middle of a civil war with targets on their backs."

Feinstein has been vilified by many California Democrats for her vote three years ago authorizing Bush to use military force in Iraq and for not calling for a full-scale pullout.

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  "We all know we can't cut and run," she said. "What I'm talking about is changing the nature of this mission."

Feinstein said American troops should be pulled out of a primary combat role, and their mission should largely be training and logistics.

Her proposal follows those made by other congressional leaders, led by U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Penn., calling for a timetable for a phased troop withdrawal.

"We have to say to Iraq that it's time for your soldiers and police forces to take over," she said.

White House spokesman Blair Jones said the president continues to have confidence in Rumsfeld's leadership and makes decisions about troop levels based on military advice and not "artificial timetables set by politicians in Washington."

"As the president has said, we are implementing a strategy that will lead to victory in Iraq," Jones said. "A victory in Iraq will make the country more secure and help lay the foundation of peace for a generation."

© 2006 Associated Press.

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