At least twice during the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal, Defence Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld offered President George W. Bush his resignation.

On Friday, amid growing criticism of his stewardship of the war from the retired generals who waged it, the issue never came up when the US president and his Pentagon chief spoke.

Bush offered Rumsfeld his full support. And at no time did Rumsfeld offer to step down, according to a senior defence official familiar with the call, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the call was private.

The president said in a statement that Rumsfeld's stewardship at the Pentagon was crucial for the United States.

"Earlier today, I spoke with Don Rumsfeld about ongoing military operations in the global war on terror," the president said. "I reiterated my strong support for his leadership during this historic and challenging time for our nation."

Bush's strong endorsement, conveyed in a statement released by the White House while Bush was at Camp David, Maryland, for the weekend, appeared designed to blunt a clamour from within the ranks of retired commanders for Rumsfeld's ouster.

Six retired generals have called for Rumsfeld to resign, accusing him of mishandling the Iraq War, ignoring advice of field commanders and having an arrogant management style.

In an interview aired Friday on Al-Arabiya television, Rumsfeld said he planned to stay on the job.

"The fact that two or three or four retired people have different views, I respect their views," he said. "But obviously if, out of thousands and thousands of admirals and generals, if every time two or three people disagreed we changed the secretary of defence of the United States, it would be like a merry-go-round."

Similar statements of support are unlikely for other officials whose time on the job may be limited, such as Treasury Secretary John Snow, according to a senior administration official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in order to more freely elaborate on White House thinking.

Joshua Bolten took over from retiring Andy Card on Friday as White House chief of staff, and several administration personnel changes were widely anticipated, perhaps as early as this week.

The timing of Bush's statement on Rumsfeld seemed designed to tamp down speculation, particularly in Sunday newspapers and on weekend television news shows, that Rumsfeld might be on his way out.

"He has my full support and deepest appreciation," Bush said.

Source: China Daily