Posted on 03/17/2004 10:51:57 AM PST by Calpernia
The United States cannot defend against every terrorist threat, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told a Philadelphia radio audience March 16.
"The only way to deal with it is to go after the terrorist in the terrorists' havens where they exist," Rumsfeld said. It is better to deal with terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq than in the United States, he said.
Rumsfeld spoke as part of Radio Day at the Pentagon. The event brought together civilian and military leaders with radio stations around the country.
Rumsfeld said the United States is making great progress in the war on terror. U.S. service members, particularly those in Afghanistan and Iraq, are courageous and they are proud of what they are doing, he said. Those service members have liberated more than 50 million people in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the circumstances in these countries are getting better every day, he added.
Defense officials have said that if Iraq and Afghanistan can transition to democracies that respect the rights of all citizens and the rule of law, they will serve as an example to other nations of the region.
Rumsfeld told the radio audience that in the run-up to war, all members of the coalition were certain Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. "The president would ask: How will the military handle it when Saddam Hussein uses chemical weapons on our troops?" he said.
The coalition forces that moved into Iraq last year lived in their chemical protection suits. They also found thousands of Iraqi chemical protection suits. Saddam used chemical weapons in the past.
There was unanimity that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, Rumsfeld said. "I think we'll eventually know the ground truth on this, and there's no question but that he had those capabilities and used them on his neighbors and on his own people," he said. "So the question is what happened to them?"
Rumsfeld said the Iraq Survey Group has 1,200 people sorting out the truth about Saddam's weapons programs. He asked why Saddam would defy 17 United Nations Security Council resolutions if he had no chemical weapons.
"It was Saddam Hussein who chose war," the secretary said. "He could have done what Libya is doing right now and opened up his country and said, 'Come in, see that we're willing to turn over, (and) what we have,' but he didn't. He defied the United Nations, and he made a poor choice."
Rumsfeld said the United States is making great progress in the war on terror. U.S. service members, particularly those in Afghanistan and Iraq, are courageous and they are proud of what they are doing, he said. Those service members have liberated more than 50 million people in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the circumstances in these countries are getting better every day, he added.
Private Mail to be added to or removed from the GNFI (or Pro-Coalition) ping list.
Adding links to the transcripts.
The second is friendly media. Interesting response re. Bin Laden (dead or alive?), and check out the response to the question about Kerry's foreign supporters. (^:
Rumsfeld: Well, one always wishes it were – the security were better. And yet, when one looks at the fact that they have a currency, they have a new currency, they have a Central Bank, they have – the schools are open, they have – hospitals are open, the clinics are open, the oil production’s back where it was prewar. The electricity is being restored, portable water is about where it was before the war. We have now 200,000 Iraqi security forces that are stepping farther forward and contributing more than the entire coalition to the security of that country. One has to be pleased with the progress. It breaks your heart when an Iraqi is killed or when a coalition member is killed and these brave young men and women that are out there, doing what they’re doing.
On the other hand, if you look back to the Korean war, and think that there were tens of thousands of people killed and today, 50 years later, that country has a robust democracy, it has an economy that’s one of the miracles of the world and the people are free and that’s a good thing. And the people that lost their lives in Korea contributed to something important in the world.
Q: Senator Kerry maintains that there are world leaders out there who are supportive of his candidacy. I think a couple of them would be eligible to vote in South Philadelphia, the way we run some of our elections back home.
(Chuckles.) Have you brushed shoulders, Mr. Secretary, with any world leaders who have confessed to you their admiration for the Kerry candidacy?
Rumsfeld: You know, I've been asked to kind of stay out of politics by the president --Colin Powell and I have - and I certainly agree that if that's the case, it'd be interesting for the American people to know who they are...
Rumsfeld: ... and why they feel that way.
Q: Are you sticking around for a second tour of duty in this job?
Rumsfeld: This is my second tour of duty. (Laughter.)
Q: Third. You know what I'm saying.
Rumsfeld: I don't know. That's a matter for the president. But I must say I have great respect for him. He's a well-rooted and solid individual and it's a privilege to work for him and for the country and I feel, what with the difficulties in the world, I feel very fortunate to be able to be a part of it and to try to contribute
Oh this is going to make Johnny wear a long face--
--wait--he's already doing that.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.