Rumsfeld Comments on Intelligence Report

AP ^ | 9/28/6 | LOLITA C. BALDOR

[SmithL]

It is impossible to know with any precision whether the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have created more terrorists than they've killed, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Thursday.

In his first extensive remarks about a recent U.S. intelligence report saying the threat of terrorism has risen, Rumsfeld told reporters at a NATO meeting that, in general, the value of intelligence reports can be uneven, and "sometimes it's just flat wrong."

But he added that, "the implication that if you stop killing or capturing people who are trying to kill you, then therefore the world would be a better place, is obviously nonsensical."

In the much-discussed National Intelligence Estimate initially reported last weekend, the government's top analysts concluded that Iraq has become a "cause celebre" for jihadists, who are growing in number and geographic reach. If the trend continues, they said, the risks to the U.S. interests at home and abroad surely will grow.

Rumsfeld did not specifically criticize or address the controversial intelligence report, but instead commented more broadly about the terrorist question that has gripped the political world since the report was disclosed last week.

"Are more terrorists being created in the world? We don't know. The world doesn't know," said Rumsfeld, adding that there are no good ways to measure "The world doesn't know. There aren't good ways to measure how many terrorists are being trained at camps around the world."

Disclosure of the classified report, and Bush's subsequent move to make public portions of it, has had broad political ramifications.

For Republicans, the report provides more evidence that Iraq is central to the war on terrorism and can't be abandoned without giving jihadists a crucial victory. And for Democrats, it furthers their argument that the 2003 Iraq invasion has inflamed anti-U.S. sentiments...

[Rummyfan]

But he added that, "the implication that if you stop killing or capturing people who are trying to kill you, then therefore the world would be a better place, is obviously nonsensical."

Thank you Mr Secretary!

He might have also added ' I don't know if we're creating more of them, but we are certainly killing a lot of them.'

[Zuben Elgenubi]

Hey, NATO! Read between the lines.

[LZ_Bayonet]

And if there were such a report as below, would it not show the results indicated?

"In the much-discussed Vatican Intelligence Estimate initially reported last weekend, the Vatican's top analysts concluded that the Pope's mention of Islam in conjunction with violence has become a "cause celebre" for jihadists."

[Grig]

Where is al-Quaeda's or the MSM's reports about how terrorist attacks have caused a military buildup in the USA? Wasn't there a lot of people signing up for military service after 9-11?

When a war breaks out, each side will have a rush of people to sign up, that's just how it is. Then you go about killing them off till one side quits. Now that we've smoked the anti-american terrorists out into the open, lets reduce their numbers.

[pleikumud]

The Democrats (allies of the terrorists) say that Iraq is a distraction from the war on terror. Apparently they are too dumb to figure out that we have killed or captured thousands of terrorists in Iraq.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Of course, the left believes this intelligence even though it's from the same agencies who said Iraq had WMD's.

[SkyPilot]

Rummy will go down in history as one of the best SECDEFs of all time. I was in the Pentagon today, and I passed his office and then I passed the portraits of previous SECDEFs.

I broke down in laughter when I saw "The Honorable William Cohen."

[Suzy Quzy]

AMEN!! Rumsfeld is FABULOUS and we are priviliged to have him serve. He runs rings around those dumbass liberal Democrats and they KNOW it....that's why the DETEST him!!

William Cohen...HAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH...he was a WEAK Senator, and a PATHETIC SECDEF.

[SkyPilot]

When people vote this November, I hope they remember the difference between the Democrats (frivolous) and Republicans (the adults).

[Suzy Quzy]

That picture says it all!! They were the most IMMATURE, Un-Serious group ever. Please post that picture on every political thread!!

[Trunk 71-74]

You have to expect that sort of in-action when you appoint a Consciencious Objector to the post of Secretary of Defense -- another Bill Clinton screw-up.

[kenavi]

I had a similar reaction when I saw on C-Span a Town Hall Meeting of Sec. Rumsfeld with Gen. Peter Pace and the military and civilians working in the Pentagon.

When did anyone from the Clinton Administration talk to our nation's defenders at such length and with such affection?

By the way, it was Rummy who FOUR YEARS AGO asked each of his staff whether our action in Iraq was creating more terrorists. Someone at the Department leaked it to the Press, who used it to mock the Secretary rather than to applaud him for being the true iconoclast he is.

[shield]

bttt

[Dajjal]

global jihad bump