[Vision2020] Rumsfeld
Dick Schmidt
dickschmidt@moscow.com
Fri, 7 May 2004 16:11:13 -0700
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
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Rose,
I'm sure glad we have a very capable researcher on Vision2020 to bring =
up important pieces of the past and link it to what is happening today. =
Thank You!
Dick Schmidt
----- Original Message -----=20
From: DonaldH675@aol.com=20
To: vision2020@moscow.com=20
Sent: Friday, May 07, 2004 3:48 PM
Subject: [Vision2020] Rumsfeld
Visionaries:=20
I thought about doing an extensive (and probably unread explanation) =
of my loathing for Donald Rumsfeld. Instead, I send two short articles. =
=20
"Five years before Saddam Hussein=E2=80=99s now infamous 1988 gassing =
of the Kurds, a key meeting took place in Baghdad that would play a =
significant role in forging close ties between Saddam Hussein and =
Washington. It happened at a time when Saddam was first alleged to have =
used chemical weapons. The meeting in late December 1983 paved the way =
for an official restoration of relations between Iraq and the US, which =
had been severed since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.=20
With the Iran-Iraq war escalating, President Ronald Reagan dispatched =
his Middle East envoy, a former secretary of defense, to Baghdad with a =
hand-written letter to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and a message that =
Washington was willing at any moment to resume diplomatic relations.=20
That envoy was Donald Rumsfeld.=20
Rumsfeld=E2=80=99s December 19-20, 1983 visit to Baghdad made him the =
highest-ranking US official to visit Iraq in 6 years. He met Saddam and =
the two discussed =E2=80=9Ctopics of mutual interest,=E2=80=9D according =
to the Iraqi Foreign Ministry. =E2=80=9C[Saddam] made it clear that Iraq =
was not interested in making mischief in the world,=E2=80=9D Rumsfeld =
later told The New York Times. =E2=80=9CIt struck us as useful to have a =
relationship, given that we were interested in solving the Mideast =
problems.=E2=80=9D=20
Just 12 days after the meeting, on January 1, 1984, The Washington =
Post reported that the United States =E2=80=9Cin a shift in policy, has =
informed friendly Persian Gulf nations that the defeat of Iraq in the =
3-year-old war with Iran would be =E2=80=98contrary to U.S. =
interests=E2=80=99 and has made several moves to prevent that =
result.=E2=80=9D=20
In March of 1984, with the Iran-Iraq war growing more brutal by the =
day, Rumsfeld was back in Baghdad for meetings with then-Iraqi Foreign =
Minister Tariq Aziz. On the day of his visit, March 24th, UPI reported =
from the United Nations: =E2=80=9CMustard gas laced with a nerve agent =
has been used on Iranian soldiers in the 43-month Persian Gulf War =
between Iran and Iraq, a team of U.N. experts has concluded... =
Meanwhile, in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, U.S. presidential envoy =
Donald Rumsfeld held talks with Foreign Minister Tarek Aziz (sic) on the =
Gulf war before leaving for an unspecified destination.=E2=80=9D=20
The day before, the Iranian news agency alleged that Iraq launched =
another chemical weapons assault on the southern battlefront, injuring =
600 Iranian soldiers. =E2=80=9CChemical weapons in the form of aerial =
bombs have been used in the areas inspected in Iran by the =
specialists,=E2=80=9D the U.N. report said. =E2=80=9CThe types of =
chemical agents used were bis-(2-chlorethyl)-sulfide, also known as =
mustard gas, and ethyl N, N-dimethylphosphoroamidocyanidate, a nerve =
agent known as Tabun.=E2=80=9D=20
Prior to the release of the UN report, the US State Department on =
March 5th had issued a statement saying =E2=80=9Cavailable evidence =
indicates that Iraq has used lethal chemical weapons.=E2=80=9D=20
Commenting on the UN report, US Ambassador Jeane J. Kirkpatrick was =
quoted by The New York Times as saying, =E2=80=9CWe think that the use =
of chemical weapons is a very serious matter. We've made that clear in =
general and particular.=E2=80=9D=20
Compared with the rhetoric emanating from the current administration, =
based on speculations about what Saddam might have, =
Kirkpatrick=E2=80=99s reaction was hardly a call to action.=20
Most glaring is that Donald Rumsfeld was in Iraq as the 1984 UN report =
was issued and said nothing about the allegations of chemical weapons =
use, despite State Department =E2=80=9Cevidence.=E2=80=9D On the =
contrary, The New York Times reported from Baghdad on March 29, 1984, =
=E2=80=9CAmerican diplomats pronounce themselves satisfied with =
relations between Iraq and the United States and suggest that normal =
diplomatic ties have been restored in all but name.=E2=80=9D=20
A month and a half later, in May 1984, Donald Rumsfeld resigned. In =
November of that year, full diplomatic relations between Iraq and the US =
were fully restored. Two years later, in an article about =
Rumsfeld=E2=80=99s aspirations to run for the 1988 Republican =
Presidential nomination, the Chicago Tribune Magazine listed among =
Rumsfeld=E2=80=99s achievements helping to =E2=80=9Creopen U.S. =
relations with Iraq.=E2=80=9D The Tribune failed to mention that this =
help came at a time when, according to the US State Department, Iraq was =
actively using chemical weapons.=20
Throughout the period that Rumsfeld was Reagan=E2=80=99s Middle East =
envoy, Iraq was frantically purchasing hardware from American firms, =
empowered by the White House to sell. The buying frenzy began =
immediately after Iraq was removed from the list of alleged sponsors of =
terrorism in 1982. According to a February 13, 1991 Los Angeles Times =
article:=20
=E2=80=9CFirst on Hussein's shopping list was helicopters -- he bought =
60 Hughes helicopters and trainers with little notice. However, a second =
order of 10 twin-engine Bell "Huey" helicopters, like those used to =
carry combat troops in Vietnam, prompted congressional opposition in =
August, 1983... Nonetheless, the sale was approved.=E2=80=9D=20
In 1984, according to The LA Times, the State Department=E2=80=94in =
the name of =E2=80=9Cincreased American penetration of the extremely =
competitive civilian aircraft market=E2=80=9D=E2=80=94pushed through the =
sale of 45 Bell 214ST helicopters to Iraq. The helicopters, worth some =
$200 million, were originally designed for military purposes. The New =
York Times later reported that Saddam =E2=80=9Ctransferred many, if not =
all [of these helicopters] to his military.=E2=80=9D=20
In 1988, Saddam=E2=80=99s forces attacked Kurdish civilians with =
poisonous gas from Iraqi helicopters and planes. U.S. intelligence =
sources told The LA Times in 1991, they =E2=80=9Cbelieve that the =
American-built helicopters were among those dropping the deadly =
bombs.=E2=80=9D=20
In response to the gassing, sweeping sanctions were unanimously passed =
by the US Senate that would have denied Iraq access to most US =
technology. The measure was killed by the White House.=20
Senior officials later told reporters they did not press for =
punishment of Iraq at the time because they wanted to shore up Iraq's =
ability to pursue the war with Iran. Extensive research uncovered no =
public statements by Donald Rumsfeld publicly expressing even remote =
concern about Iraq=E2=80=99s use or possession of chemical weapons until =
the week Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, when he appeared on an ABC =
news special.=20
Eight years later, Donald Rumsfeld signed on to an =E2=80=9Copen =
letter=E2=80=9D to President Clinton, calling on him to eliminate =
=E2=80=9Cthe threat posed by Saddam.=E2=80=9D It urged Clinton to =
=E2=80=9Cprovide the leadership necessary to save ourselves and the =
world from the scourge of Saddam and the weapons of mass destruction =
that he refuses to relinquish.=E2=80=9D=20
In 1984, Donald Rumsfeld was in a position to draw the world=E2=80=99s =
attention to Saddam=E2=80=99s chemical threat. He was in Baghdad as the =
UN concluded that chemical weapons had been used against Iran. He was =
armed with a fresh communication from the State Department that it had =
=E2=80=9Cavailable evidence=E2=80=9D Iraq was using chemical weapons. =
But Rumsfeld said nothing.=20
Washington now speaks of Saddam=E2=80=99s threat and the consequences =
of a failure to act. Despite the fact that the administration has failed =
to provide even a shred of concrete proof that Iraq has links to Al =
Qaeda or has resumed production of chemical or biological agents, =
Rumsfeld insists that =E2=80=9Cthe absence of evidence is not evidence =
of absence.=E2=80=9D=20
But there is evidence of the absence of Donald Rumsfeld=E2=80=99s =
voice at the very moment when Iraq=E2=80=99s alleged threat to =
international security first emerged. And in this case, the evidence of =
absence is indeed evidence."
article by Jeremy Scahill
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0802-01.htm
Or, for more recent lies, this should suffice.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld predicted =
Thursday that a war with Iraq -- if there is one, he stressed -- would =
not turn into World War III.=20
"I can't tell you if the use of force in Iraq today will last five =
days, five weeks or five months, but it won't last any longer than =
that," he said in an hour-long radio interview for Infinity =
Broadcasting.=20
"It won't be a World War III," he added, citing the "vastly more =
powerful" U.S. forces, compared to 10 years ago during the Persian Gulf =
War.=20
Rumsfeld made his comments shortly before Pentagon officials said the =
United States was having air patrols in the region take into account a =
small upgrade in Iraq's surface-to-air missile range.=20
The defense secretary said that a "decision has not been made that war =
is necessary" to get Iraq's compliance with the latest U.N. resolution =
calling on Baghdad to disclose its weapons of mass destruction program =
and disarm.=20
"The president has not suggested that that is going to be needed," =
Rumsfeld said, although President Bush has said many times that military =
force will be used to make Iraq comply.=20
Rumsfeld said the event that would push the coalition to use military =
force would be one that would be easy to recognize.=20
"In the event (war) becomes necessary, there would be the =
precipitating event of rejecting the inspectors, which would be such =
that people would nod and say, 'Fair enough: If he's (Saddam Hussein) =
that determined to keep the weapons of mass destruction and that =
unwilling to disarm himself, then he must have a darn good reason and =
that isn't going to be very good for the neighborhood or for the rest of =
the world,'" Rumsfeld explained.=20
Iraq's missile boosters
What Pentagon officials say is Iraq's modest increase in the range of =
its surface-to-air missiles is being handled by air-patrol pilots in the =
area.=20
U.S. officials say booster rockets added to the Russian-made SA-2 can =
increase its range by several miles.=20
Coalition air patrols enforcing U.N.-mandated no-fly zones in northern =
and southern Iraq -- as well as other aircraft on surveillance missions =
over the country -- have worked with a range for the missiles known to =
be around 21 miles.=20
The reported change in range "gives us a different envelope to be =
aware of, but not sure that it substantially does much," a Pentagon =
official told CNN on Friday.=20
Threat assessment
He told a caller who questioned the imminent threat from Iraq to =
remember what life was like pre-September 11.=20
"Was the attack then an imminent threat two, three, or six months =
before? When did the attack on September 11th become an imminent threat, =
when was it sufficiently dangerous? Now transport yourself forward ... =
if Saddam Hussein were to take his weapons of mass destruction and =
transfer them, or use them himself, or transfer them to the al Qaeda, =
and some of the al Qaeda were to engage in an attack on the United =
States or on U.S. forces overseas with weapons of mass destruction, when =
is it such an immediate threat that you must do something?" Rumsfeld =
asked.=20
"Our task, your task ... is to try to connect the dots before =
something happens. People say, 'Well, where's the smoking gun?' Well, we =
don't want to see a smoking gun from a weapon of mass destruction," he =
told the caller, a mother whose son has completed training in the Army =
and may soon be sent overseas.=20
When questioned by another caller about the exact relationship between =
al Qaeda and Iraq, Rumsfeld gave an answer he said had been approved by =
the CIA.=20
"That our understanding of the relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda =
is still developing, that there is no question but that there have been =
interactions between the Iraqi government, Iraqi officials and al Qaeda =
operatives, they have occurred over a span of some eight or 10 years to =
our knowledge, that there are currently al Qaeda in Iraq," he said.=20
The defense secretary added that in a country with such limited =
freedoms, it would be impossible for the Iraqi regime to be unaware of =
al Qaeda members within its borders.=20
Rumsfeld said that if coalition forces had to go to war with Iraq, =
there would be a period of time after the fighting in which those forces =
would have to remain in the country to find and destroy weapons of mass =
destruction, provide humanitarian assistance, and assist "some sort of =
provisional government of Iraqis" that would find its way to power.=20
"Absent a dictator, absent the Saddam Hussein regime, our goal would =
be first to have a single country, not have a country broken up into =
pieces, it would be to see that it would be a country without weapons of =
mass destruction, a country that did not try to impose its will upon its =
neighbors and it was a country that was respectful of the rights of =
minorities and the ethnic groups that exist in the country," Rumsfeld =
said.=20
And if, one caller queried, no weapons of mass destruction were found =
by U.N. weapons inspectors inside Iraq?=20
"What it would prove would be that the inspection process had been =
successfully defeated by the Iraqis," the secretary said. "There's no =
question but that the Iraqi regime is clever, they've spent a lot of =
time hiding things, dispersing things, tunneling underground."=20
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/11/15/rumsfeld.iraq/
Rose Huskey
Once you lose integrity everything else is easy.=20
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<DIV><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>Rose,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>I'm sure glad we have a =
very capable=20
researcher on Vision2020 to bring up important pieces of the past and =
link it to=20
what is happening today. Thank You!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>Dick Schmidt</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3DDonaldH675@aol.com=20
href=3D"mailto:DonaldH675@aol.com">DonaldH675@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dvision2020@moscow.com=20
href=3D"mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, May 07, 2004 3:48 =
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020] =
Rumsfeld</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<P>Visionaries:=20
<P>I thought about doing an extensive (and probably unread =
explanation) of=20
my loathing for Donald Rumsfeld. Instead, I send two short=20
articles. =20
<P>"Five years before Saddam Hussein=E2=80=99s now infamous 1988 =
gassing of the Kurds,=20
a key meeting took place in Baghdad that would play a significant role =
in=20
forging close ties between Saddam Hussein and Washington. It happened =
at a=20
time when Saddam was first alleged to have used chemical weapons. The =
meeting=20
in late December 1983 paved the way for an official restoration of =
relations=20
between Iraq and the US, which had been severed since the 1967 =
Arab-Israeli=20
war.=20
<P>With the Iran-Iraq war escalating, President Ronald Reagan =
dispatched his=20
Middle East envoy, a former secretary of defense, to Baghdad with a=20
hand-written letter to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and a message =
that=20
Washington was willing at any moment to resume diplomatic relations.=20
<P>That envoy was Donald Rumsfeld.=20
<P>Rumsfeld=E2=80=99s December 19-20, 1983 visit to Baghdad made him =
the=20
highest-ranking US official to visit Iraq in 6 years. He met Saddam =
and the=20
two discussed =E2=80=9Ctopics of mutual interest,=E2=80=9D according =
to the Iraqi Foreign=20
Ministry. =E2=80=9C[Saddam] made it clear that Iraq was not interested =
in making=20
mischief in the world,=E2=80=9D Rumsfeld later told The New York =
Times. =E2=80=9CIt struck us=20
as useful to have a relationship, given that we were interested in =
solving the=20
Mideast problems.=E2=80=9D=20
<P>Just 12 days after the meeting, on January 1, 1984, The Washington =
Post=20
reported that the United States =E2=80=9Cin a shift in policy, has =
informed friendly=20
Persian Gulf nations that the defeat of Iraq in the 3-year-old war =
with Iran=20
would be =E2=80=98contrary to U.S. interests=E2=80=99 and has made =
several moves to prevent=20
that result.=E2=80=9D=20
<P>In March of 1984, with the Iran-Iraq war growing more brutal by the =
day,=20
Rumsfeld was back in Baghdad for meetings with then-Iraqi Foreign =
Minister=20
Tariq Aziz. On the day of his visit, March 24th, UPI reported from the =
United=20
Nations: =E2=80=9CMustard gas laced with a nerve agent has been used =
on Iranian=20
soldiers in the 43-month Persian Gulf War between Iran and Iraq, a =
team of=20
U.N. experts has concluded... Meanwhile, in the Iraqi capital of =
Baghdad, U.S.=20
presidential envoy Donald Rumsfeld held talks with Foreign Minister =
Tarek Aziz=20
(sic) on the Gulf war before leaving for an unspecified =
destination.=E2=80=9D=20
<P>The day before, the Iranian news agency alleged that Iraq launched =
another=20
chemical weapons assault on the southern battlefront, injuring 600 =
Iranian=20
soldiers. =E2=80=9CChemical weapons in the form of aerial bombs have =
been used in the=20
areas inspected in Iran by the specialists,=E2=80=9D the U.N. report =
said. =E2=80=9CThe types=20
of chemical agents used were bis-(2-chlorethyl)-sulfide, also known as =
mustard=20
gas, and ethyl N, N-dimethylphosphoroamidocyanidate, a nerve agent =
known as=20
Tabun.=E2=80=9D=20
<P>Prior to the release of the UN report, the US State Department on =
March 5th=20
had issued a statement saying =E2=80=9Cavailable evidence indicates =
that Iraq has used=20
lethal chemical weapons.=E2=80=9D=20
<P>Commenting on the UN report, US Ambassador Jeane J. Kirkpatrick was =
quoted=20
by The New York Times as saying, =E2=80=9CWe think that the use of =
chemical weapons is=20
a very serious matter. We've made that clear in general and =
particular.=E2=80=9D=20
<P>Compared with the rhetoric emanating from the current =
administration, based=20
on speculations about what Saddam might have, Kirkpatrick=E2=80=99s =
reaction was=20
hardly a call to action.=20
<P>Most glaring is that Donald Rumsfeld was in Iraq as the 1984 UN =
report was=20
issued and said nothing about the allegations of chemical weapons use, =
despite=20
State Department =E2=80=9Cevidence.=E2=80=9D On the contrary, The New =
York Times reported from=20
Baghdad on March 29, 1984, =E2=80=9CAmerican diplomats pronounce =
themselves satisfied=20
with relations between Iraq and the United States and suggest that =
normal=20
diplomatic ties have been restored in all but name.=E2=80=9D=20
<P>A month and a half later, in May 1984, Donald Rumsfeld resigned. In =
November of that year, full diplomatic relations between Iraq and the =
US were=20
fully restored. Two years later, in an article about =
Rumsfeld=E2=80=99s aspirations to=20
run for the 1988 Republican Presidential nomination, the Chicago =
Tribune=20
Magazine listed among Rumsfeld=E2=80=99s achievements helping to =
=E2=80=9Creopen U.S.=20
relations with Iraq.=E2=80=9D The Tribune failed to mention that this =
help came at a=20
time when, according to the US State Department, Iraq was actively =
using=20
chemical weapons.=20
<P>Throughout the period that Rumsfeld was Reagan=E2=80=99s Middle =
East envoy, Iraq=20
was frantically purchasing hardware from American firms, empowered by =
the=20
White House to sell. The buying frenzy began immediately after Iraq =
was=20
removed from the list of alleged sponsors of terrorism in 1982. =
According to a=20
February 13, 1991 Los Angeles Times article:=20
<P>=E2=80=9CFirst on Hussein's shopping list was helicopters -- he =
bought 60 Hughes=20
helicopters and trainers with little notice. However, a second order =
of 10=20
twin-engine Bell "Huey" helicopters, like those used to carry combat =
troops in=20
Vietnam, prompted congressional opposition in August, 1983... =
Nonetheless, the=20
sale was approved.=E2=80=9D=20
<P>In 1984, according to The LA Times, the State Department=E2=80=94in =
the name of=20
=E2=80=9Cincreased American penetration of the extremely competitive =
civilian aircraft=20
market=E2=80=9D=E2=80=94pushed through the sale of 45 Bell 214ST =
helicopters to Iraq. The=20
helicopters, worth some $200 million, were originally designed for =
military=20
purposes. The New York Times later reported that Saddam =
=E2=80=9Ctransferred many, if=20
not all [of these helicopters] to his military.=E2=80=9D=20
<P>In 1988, Saddam=E2=80=99s forces attacked Kurdish civilians with =
poisonous gas from=20
Iraqi helicopters and planes. U.S. intelligence sources told The LA =
Times in=20
1991, they =E2=80=9Cbelieve that the American-built helicopters were =
among those=20
dropping the deadly bombs.=E2=80=9D=20
<P>In response to the gassing, sweeping sanctions were unanimously =
passed by=20
the US Senate that would have denied Iraq access to most US =
technology. The=20
measure was killed by the White House.=20
<P>Senior officials later told reporters they did not press for =
punishment of=20
Iraq at the time because they wanted to shore up Iraq's ability to =
pursue the=20
war with Iran. Extensive research uncovered no public statements by =
Donald=20
Rumsfeld publicly expressing even remote concern about Iraq=E2=80=99s =
use or=20
possession of chemical weapons until the week Iraq invaded Kuwait in =
August=20
1990, when he appeared on an ABC news special.=20
<P>Eight years later, Donald Rumsfeld signed on to an =E2=80=9Copen =
letter=E2=80=9D to=20
President Clinton, calling on him to eliminate =E2=80=9Cthe threat =
posed by Saddam.=E2=80=9D=20
It urged Clinton to =E2=80=9Cprovide the leadership necessary to save =
ourselves and=20
the world from the scourge of Saddam and the weapons of mass =
destruction that=20
he refuses to relinquish.=E2=80=9D=20
<P>In 1984, Donald Rumsfeld was in a position to draw the =
world=E2=80=99s attention to=20
Saddam=E2=80=99s chemical threat. He was in Baghdad as the UN =
concluded that chemical=20
weapons had been used against Iran. He was armed with a fresh =
communication=20
from the State Department that it had =E2=80=9Cavailable =
evidence=E2=80=9D Iraq was using=20
chemical weapons. But Rumsfeld said nothing.=20
<P>Washington now speaks of Saddam=E2=80=99s threat and the =
consequences of a failure=20
to act. Despite the fact that the administration has failed to provide =
even a=20
shred of concrete proof that Iraq has links to Al Qaeda or has resumed =
production of chemical or biological agents, Rumsfeld insists that =
=E2=80=9Cthe=20
absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.=E2=80=9D=20
<P>But there is evidence of the absence of Donald Rumsfeld=E2=80=99s =
voice at the very=20
moment when Iraq=E2=80=99s alleged threat to international security =
first emerged. And=20
in this case, the evidence of absence is indeed evidence."<BR>article =
by=20
Jeremy Scahill</P></DIV>
<DIV><A=20
=
href=3D"http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0802-01.htm">http://www.commo=
ndreams.org/views02/0802-01.htm</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Or, for more recent lies, this should suffice.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P>WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld predicted =
Thursday=20
that a war with Iraq -- if there is one, he stressed -- would not turn =
into=20
World War III. </P>
<P>"I can't tell you if the use of force in Iraq today will last five =
days,=20
five weeks or five months, but it won't last any longer than that," he =
said in=20
an hour-long radio interview for Infinity Broadcasting. </P>
<P>"It won't be a World War III," he added, citing the "vastly more =
powerful"=20
U.S. forces, compared to 10 years ago during the Persian Gulf War. =
</P>
<P>Rumsfeld made his comments shortly before Pentagon officials said =
the=20
United States was having air patrols in the region take into account a =
small=20
upgrade in Iraq's surface-to-air missile range. </P>
<P>The defense secretary said that a "decision has not been made that =
war is=20
necessary" to get Iraq's compliance with the latest U.N. resolution =
calling on=20
Baghdad to disclose its weapons of mass destruction program and =
disarm. </P>
<P>"The president has not suggested that that is going to be needed," =
Rumsfeld=20
said, although President Bush has said many times that military force =
will be=20
used to make Iraq comply. </P>
<P>Rumsfeld said the event that would push the coalition to use =
military force=20
would be one that would be easy to recognize. </P>
<P>"In the event (war) becomes necessary, there would be the =
precipitating=20
event of rejecting the inspectors, which would be such that people =
would nod=20
and say, 'Fair enough: If he's (Saddam Hussein) that determined to =
keep the=20
weapons of mass destruction and that unwilling to disarm himself, then =
he must=20
have a darn good reason and that isn't going to be very good for the=20
neighborhood or for the rest of the world,'" Rumsfeld explained. =
</P><A=20
name=3D1></A>
<H3>Iraq's missile boosters</H3>
<P>What Pentagon officials say is Iraq's modest increase in the range =
of its=20
surface-to-air missiles is being handled by air-patrol pilots in the =
area.=20
</P>
<P>U.S. officials say booster rockets added to the Russian-made SA-2 =
can=20
increase its range by several miles. </P>
<P>Coalition air patrols enforcing U.N.-mandated no-fly zones in =
northern and=20
southern Iraq -- as well as other aircraft on surveillance missions =
over the=20
country -- have worked with a range for the missiles known to be =
around 21=20
miles. </P>
<P>The reported change in range "gives us a different envelope to be =
aware of,=20
but not sure that it substantially does much," a Pentagon official =
told CNN on=20
Friday. </P><A name=3D2></A>
<H3>Threat assessment</H3>
<P>He told a caller who questioned the imminent threat from Iraq to =
remember=20
what life was like pre-September 11. </P>
<P>"Was the attack then an imminent threat two, three, or six months =
before?=20
When did the attack on September 11th become an imminent threat, when =
was it=20
sufficiently dangerous? Now transport yourself forward ... if Saddam =
Hussein=20
were to take his weapons of mass destruction and transfer them, or use =
them=20
himself, or transfer them to the al Qaeda, and some of the al Qaeda =
were to=20
engage in an attack on the United States or on U.S. forces overseas =
with=20
weapons of mass destruction, when is it such an immediate threat that =
you must=20
do something?" Rumsfeld asked. </P>
<P>"Our task, your task ... is to try to connect the dots before =
something=20
happens. People say, 'Well, where's the smoking gun?' Well, we don't =
want to=20
see a smoking gun from a weapon of mass destruction," he told the =
caller, a=20
mother whose son has completed training in the Army and may soon be =
sent=20
overseas. </P>
<P>When questioned by another caller about the exact relationship =
between al=20
Qaeda and Iraq, Rumsfeld gave an answer he said had been approved by =
the CIA.=20
</P>
<P>"That our understanding of the relationship between Iraq and al =
Qaeda is=20
still developing, that there is no question but that there have been=20
interactions between the Iraqi government, Iraqi officials and al =
Qaeda=20
operatives, they have occurred over a span of some eight or 10 years =
to our=20
knowledge, that there are currently al Qaeda in Iraq," he said. </P>
<P>The defense secretary added that in a country with such limited =
freedoms,=20
it would be impossible for the Iraqi regime to be unaware of al Qaeda =
members=20
within its borders. </P>
<P>Rumsfeld said that if coalition forces had to go to war with Iraq, =
there=20
would be a period of time after the fighting in which those forces =
would have=20
to remain in the country to find and destroy weapons of mass =
destruction,=20
provide humanitarian assistance, and assist "some sort of provisional=20
government of Iraqis" that would find its way to power. </P>
<P>"Absent a dictator, absent the Saddam Hussein regime, our goal =
would be=20
first to have a single country, not have a country broken up into =
pieces, it=20
would be to see that it would be a country without weapons of mass=20
destruction, a country that did not try to impose its will upon its =
neighbors=20
and it was a country that was respectful of the rights of minorities =
and the=20
ethnic groups that exist in the country," Rumsfeld said. </P>
<P>And if, one caller queried, no weapons of mass destruction were =
found by=20
U.N. weapons inspectors inside Iraq? </P>
<P>"What it would prove would be that the inspection process had been=20
successfully defeated by the Iraqis," the secretary said. "There's no =
question=20
but that the Iraqi regime is clever, they've spent a lot of time =
hiding=20
things, dispersing things, tunneling underground." <BR><A=20
=
href=3D"http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/11/15/rumsfeld.iraq/">http://www.cnn.c=
om/2002/US/11/15/rumsfeld.iraq/</A></P>
<P>Rose Huskey<BR><FONT lang=3D0 face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3 =
PTSIZE=3D"12"=20
FAMILY=3D"SERIF">Once you lose integrity everything else is easy. =
</FONT></P>
<P> </P></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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