DougR - Fair enough. But when will the man in charge of the corporation actually be held responsible for whats going on in the corporation? The reason that the skipper goes down with the ship is that he is responsible for everything (let me say that again - everything) that goes on on the ship. He is the onoe that sets the course and approves of the personnel manning all stations. Whether the screw up was the lowliest seaman or the best trained executive officer he's ever had. The Captain is the responsible party and will be held accountable. The military, all five branches, is not a corporation. Rummy knows this. Rummy knows that it isn't a matter of bad investments losing the company money. It's soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and yes coasties, lives on the line. And every bad or hastily made decision costs lives. I happen to believe that the terrorists (not necessarily the Iraqis) will use any excuse to commit whatever attrocities they can. Why the hell did we go and hand them a few more reasons?

The civilians in employ to the US Military are not subject to the UCMJ and can't be courts martialed (and thank your lucky stars that civilians can't be held to it.)