Little Rock, AR - Today, General Wesley Clark criticized the Bush Administration for further politicizing the war in Iraq.

Recently, the Bush Administration decided to award the same campaign medal to those serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.

According to General Wesley Clark, "This is not only a disservice to our men and women in uniform who deserve separate recognition for their efforts but a subtle political move to bolster a false contention that Iraq was part of the struggle against al Qaeda and other terrorists. These were separate campaigns. The war against Iraq had nothing to do with the struggle against Osama bin Laden and terrorism."

"By giving the same medal to our troops in Iraq, the Administration is trying to create the impression that there is a connection between September 11th and Iraq. This is not about recognizing our troops, it's about politics. This is a deceptive campaign to rewrite history and redefine a misguided war. Our troops do deserve medals, but they also deserve honesty. We need a higher standard of leadership in America. One that puts our national interests above the special interests."