Iraq war debated in 'Alamo City': VFW's national convention served as a forum for Administration officials and lawmakers to debate troop deployments, VA health care and concurrent receipt.(VFW National Convention 2003)

Key Bush Administration officials, as well as members of Congress, addressed several issues of concern to VFW during the 104th National Convention in San Antonio.

Heading the agenda was the use of troops in Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld defended the Administration's decision to hold troop levels constant in that Middle Eastern country. He noted that if more troops are requested, he will get them. Rumsfeld stressed that both the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the U.S. Central Command have stated sufficient U.S. forces are there.

Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, has stated: "Putting more soldiers on the ground is not going to solve the problem if I don't have the intelligence to act on." (U.S. troops there dropped to 116,000 in September.)

National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice also defended U.S. involvement in Iraq: "We cannot and will not shrink from this fight. This threat could not be allowed to remain and grow."

In the opposite corner, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) said U.S. troops are overextended in Iraq. "A soldier getting a drink of water shouldn't be afraid of getting shot," the VFW life member said. "I want the targets taken off American soldiers as soon as possible."

The Navy Vietnam vet told attendees that lessons learned in that war must be applied to Iraq. "When you decide to go to war, the only exit strategy is called victory--mission fully accomplished," he said. Accusing the Administration of "lack of planning and candor," he asserted: "We must never let politics again get in the way of what is best for the troops."

Kerry also called for the U.N. and troops from other countries to shoulder the burden in Iraq. "It would be nice to see Arabs in uniform sharing the struggle for freedom," he said.

Air Force Gen. Richard …