RKMBs Forums .::Important::. Politics and Current Events Hillary in 2008

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton hit back Friday in a row with the Pentagon, after a top official accused her of emboldening US enemies by discussing troop withdrawals.

Senator Clinton wrote to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, accusing one of his civilian subordinates of making "spurious" comments and saying the official's priorities were backwards on planning for troop redeployments.

Under Secretary of Defense Eric Edelman had rebuked Clinton in unusually strong terms in a letter about her questions on how and if the US military was preparing contingency plans for an eventual withdrawal from Iraq.

"Premature and public discussion of the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq reinforces enemy propaganda that the United States will abandon its allies in Iraq," Edelman wrote, adding such talk "unnerves" US allies there.

Clinton told Gates that Edelman's response avoided the issues she had raised "and instead made spurious arguments to avoid addressing contingency planning for the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq."

"Under Secretary Edelman has his priorities backward. Open and honest debate and congressional oversight strengthens our nation and supports our military. His suggestion to the contrary is outrageous and dangerous."

Clinton also pointed out that in March, Gates had told a congressional committee that open debate on Iraq could be a lever to put more pressure on the Iraqi government to act, a priority of the administration.

She also asked for the "courtesy of a prompt response directly" from Gates.

Ratcheting up the issue further, Clinton, the pace-setter for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 said she would Friday join the 2004 party nominee Senator John Kerry to unveil a new bill compelling Pentagon contingency planning for an Iraq withdrawal.

Clinton's public spat with the Pentagon came as recriminations and accusations fly in Washington over the war.

Senators on Thursday demanded the Pentagon work out how to conduct an eventual withdrawal of 160,000 US forces in Iraq, after US ambassador to Baghdad Ryan Crocker told a hearing he knew of no such contingency planning.

Clinton first wrote to Gates in May to ask whether the Pentagon had any contingency plans for a US withdrawal from Iraq. If none existed, Clinton wanted to know why not.