US Army Secretary Francis Harvey has resigned his post as the
service's top civilian official, CNN quoted Defense Secretary
Robert Gates as saying Friday.
"I have accepted his resignation," Gates said, adding that
Harvey was "disappointed that some in the army have not adequately
appreciated the seriousness of the situation pertaining to
outpatient care at Walter Reed."
He did not give further explanations for the resignation.
Harvey was resigning at a time when a scandal over substandard
conditions for wounded troops returning from Iraq at Walter Reed
Army Medical Center was unfolding.
The commander of the hospital was fired by Harvey Thursday.
The revelations about poor conditions at the Walter Reed, one of
the leading US military medical facilities for treating wounded
soldiers, have embarrassed the Army and prompted two
investigations.
A series of disclosures published prominently in the Washington
Post about the living conditions, the red tape that ensnarled the
treatment of soldiers, and other problems have challenged the
notion promoted for years by the Army -- especially since the war
in Iraq -- that wounded soldiers received best care at Walter
Reed.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has promised "swift and direct
corrective action and where appropriate, accountability up the
chain of command."
The Army is already cracking down on some staff members after
the report of poor care at Walter Reed.
A number of staff members have been reassigned from their duties
at the hospital, including a captain.
On Thursday, Major Gen. George W. Weightman, commander at Walter
Reed, was fired after the Army said it had lost trust and
confidence in his leadership.
(Xinhua News Agency March 3, 2007)
