Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Defense Chief Warns of Threats Far Deadlier Than Sept. 11
Associated Press ^

Posted on 01/31/2002 9:30:02 AM PST by RCW2001

Defense Chief Warns of Threats Far Deadlier Than Sept. 11 Attacks

Published: Jan 31, 2002

WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Thursday the United States must prepare now for potential surprise attacks "vastly more deadly" than the Sept. 11 terrorist hijackings.

In a speech laying out the Bush administration's justification for proposing a $48 billion increase in the 2003 defense budget, Rumsfeld said the nation is vulnerable to new forms of terrorism ranging from cyberattacks to attacks on U.S. military bases abroad to ballistic missile attacks on American cities.

"Our job is to close off as many of those avenues of potential attack as is possible," he said in a speech at the National Defense University.

His remarks coincided with new indications that terrorists have considered a range of possible attacks. The FBI warned on Wednesday that al-Qaida terrorists may have been studying American dams and water-supply systems in preparation for new attacks. And in a report to Congress made public Wednesday, CIA Director George Tenet said rudimentary diagrams of nuclear weapons were found in a suspected al-Qaida safehouse in Kabul, Afghanistan. Other evidence uncovered in Afghanistan includes diagrams of American nuclear power plants, although it is unclear if an attack was planned.

Rumsfeld said there could be no doubt that in the years ahead the American people will be faced with an attacker as unconventional and unpredictable as the hijackers who killed more than 3,000 people by flying airliners into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

He warned of new adversaries who may strike in unexpected ways with weapons of increasing range and power. He appeared to be referring to ballistic missiles, a weapon the administration fears countries like North Korea, Iran and Iraq could either use against America or sell to terrorist groups.

"These attacks could grow vastly more deadly than those we suffered" on Sept. 11, he said.

The speech made a case for spending more money on a wide range of weapons and other military programs, although Rumsfeld mentioned no specific amounts of spending for individual programs.

He made a pitch for deploying defenses against ballistic missiles to guard against the possibility that American and allied cities could be held hostage to "nuclear blackmail." And he said new earth-penetrating weapons could make obsolete the deep underground bunkers where terrorists hide.

He said the war in Afghanistan has shown the effectiveness of some new military technologies that past administrations failed to develop in sufficient numbers. He cited the example of unmanned aircraft such as the Predator, which provides live TV images of the battlefield but is in short supply.

He also mentioned a shortage of manned reconnaissance and surveillance planes, command and control aircraft like the Air Force's AWACS plane, chemical and biological defense equipment and certain types of special operations forces.

Rumsfeld cited specific lessons learned from the Afghan campaign:

- Wars in the 21st century will increasingly require all elements of national power - not just the military. They will require that economic, diplomatic, financial, law enforcement and intelligence capabilities work together.

- The ability of military forces to communicate and operate seamlessly on the battlefield will be critical to success. He noted the success of U.S. special forces on the ground in Afghanistan communicating target information to pilots of Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps strike aircraft.

- Wars must be fought by "coalitions of the willing" - they should not be fought by committee. The United States has taken the lead in the war in Afghanistan, not allowing coalition partners to determine the mission.

- Defending the United States requires prevention and sometimes pre-emption. Rumsfeld has said many times that the Sept. 11 attacks showed that it is impossible to defend against every possible threat in every place at every conceivable time. He cited the old saying that the best defense is a good offense.

AP-ES-01-31-02 1320EST


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-91 next last

1 posted on 01/31/2002 9:30:02 AM PST by RCW2001
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: RCW2001
Watch a replay of this folks....it is a real eye opener of how bad .....Slick left our military in bad shape..
2 posted on 01/31/2002 9:32:07 AM PST by Dog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RCW2001
Of course both parties are ignoring the REAL threat to our very existence as a country - CHINA. Let's keep hiding our heads in the sand and leave it to our grandchildren to have to fight them rather than do without our cheap Chinese made Walmart trinkets and tennis shoes. We are the most suicidal nation in the history of the world - ignoring our own interests for the sake of political correctness.
3 posted on 01/31/2002 9:39:44 AM PST by afz400
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RCW2001
It wasn't just about sex. We're witnessing the real Clinton legacy. Heads up, America!
4 posted on 01/31/2002 9:42:16 AM PST by concerned about politics
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: afz400
Well put.
5 posted on 01/31/2002 9:44:07 AM PST by kidd
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: afz400
I doubt we are ignoring the threat of China at all. It is best not to announce they are an adversary until we are better prepared. In the meanwhile, we buy time with trade, and maybe get a few more converts to our side.

Not everything is done on television, you know.

6 posted on 01/31/2002 9:46:57 AM PST by Miss Marple
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Dog
it is a real eye opener of how bad .....Slick left our military in bad shape

I'm glad someone is finally saying in publically.

7 posted on 01/31/2002 9:47:06 AM PST by Reagan's_Mom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Dog
Are you watching this now?
8 posted on 01/31/2002 9:47:26 AM PST by Howlin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: RCW2001
...the war in Afghanistan has shown the effectiveness of some new military technologies that past administrations failed to develop in sufficient numbers...

...Wars must be fought by "coalitions of the willing" - they should not be fought by committee...

Hmmmm. I wonder who he might be referring to?

9 posted on 01/31/2002 9:47:49 AM PST by kidd
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RCW2001
This is so depressing. Just when I start to think about a peaceful old age, traveling, hunting, fishing & just snuggling with my grandchildren & my dogs. Peace & tranquility are gone in the twinkling of an eye.
10 posted on 01/31/2002 9:50:42 AM PST by Ditter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RCW2001
'"...to ballistic missile attacks on American cities."

Hello SDI!

11 posted on 01/31/2002 9:52:32 AM PST by Shermy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Howlin
Yes!
12 posted on 01/31/2002 9:52:33 AM PST by Dog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: RCW2001
This was troublesome to me when I heard Bush say this in the SOTU, and even moreso that Rumsfeld is repeating it. They know something and are preparing us for it. =( Logically, I know that there is a lot more to what's been going on; but I guess I, like lots of others, have gone back to "life as normal".
13 posted on 01/31/2002 9:52:40 AM PST by Aggie Mama
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ditter
This makes me so mad.....not depressed.....

Thank God Bush WON!

14 posted on 01/31/2002 9:53:21 AM PST by Dog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Miss Marple
I dunno. Opening trade with China only feeds their military. We have tons of reasons to severly curtail trade with China (human rights abuses, unfair trading practices, shooting down our surveillance planes, threatening Taiwan,etc) but we don't. These things are quite plain to see.
15 posted on 01/31/2002 9:53:50 AM PST by kidd
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: afz400
You really do have to ask yourself where all of the "political correctness" came from in the first place.
16 posted on 01/31/2002 9:53:56 AM PST by Billy_bob_bob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: RCW2001
If they attack again then we use nukes. They want to destroy us and if they had nukes they'd use them against us.

Better that they all die in a giant fireball than we do.

17 posted on 01/31/2002 9:54:11 AM PST by Bikers4Bush
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Aggie Mama
Agree......

Folks get ready ....what will hit us will be HUGE!

This is called preparing the public for the bad news ..

18 posted on 01/31/2002 9:55:15 AM PST by Dog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: RCW2001
FULL Star-Wars-Systems NOW!!!
19 posted on 01/31/2002 9:56:08 AM PST by maestro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RCW2001
"Our job is to close off as many of those avenues of potential attack as is possible," he said

How about the borders Mr. Rumsfeld?...When are we going to do something about ILLegal Immigration Mr. Rumsfeld?

Don't get me wrong...I have the utmost respect for Mr. Rumsfeld. I believe ILLegal immigration is probably our worst domestic threat....JMHO

FMCDH

20 posted on 01/31/2002 9:58:14 AM PST by nothingnew
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-91 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson