On May 18, 2004, Coalition Provisional Authority leader L. Paul Bremer sent a message to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Bremer “noted that the deterioration of the security situation [in Iraq] since April had made it clear…that we were trying to cover too many fronts with too few resources. We were attempting to control borders, defend LOCs [lines of communication], and protect infrastructure. Iraqi oil exports had fallen because of lack of security. Even a year after Liberation, the military still could not provide adequate protection for movements to and from Baghdad International Airport. …I [Bremer] stressed that while I did not think our mission was on the brink, I felt we were in a dangerous situation. I recommended that he consider whether the Coalition could deploy one or two additional divisions for up to a year. I verified that the secretary received my message. I did not hear back from him.”
– L. Paul Bremer with Malcolm McConnell, My Year in Iraq, Page 357