17 December 2001
Transcript: Rumsfeld Addresses U. S. Forces in Afghanistan
(Troops will stay until Taliban, al-Qaida leaders found) (2280)
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said U.S. military forces will
remain in Afghanistan until Taliban leader Mullah Omar, Usama bin
Laden and the senior al Qaida leaders are found.
"There is no way to know how long it is going to take, to find Omar
and to find Osama bin Laden and to find the senior al Qaeda leadership
and to see that they are punished. That will take some time," Rumsfeld
said, speaking to U.S. troops at the Bagram airfield in Afghanistan
December 16. "We're not leaving until we get the job done."
He said a good deal remains to be done militarily in Afghanistan
because Taliban and al Qaida forces have drifted into the mountains
where they could regroup.
Rumsfeld said he met with Hamed Karzai, the leader of the interim
Afghan authority that is slated to assume power December 22, and found
Karzai to be anxious to cooperate with the international coalition "in
every possible way."
Rumsfeld said an international security force consisting of 3,000 to
5,000 troops from four or five countries will be deployed in Kabul and
possibly other cities sometime after December 22.
"Very likely the United Kingdom will be involved, possibly Turkey,
possibly Germany and possibly one or two others," Rumsfeld said.
The United States will not be part of the security force, but will be
available to assist with intelligence, lift and quick reaction
capability, Rumsfeld said.
The defense secretary said the campaign against terror will not end
soon because of the need to root out terrorist networks that exist
around the world. He said efforts are being made to freeze terrorists'
bank accounts and discover the linkages connecting them.
Following is the transcript of Rumsfeld's remarks and question and
answer session at the Bagram airfield:
(begin transcript)
DoD News Briefing Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld Sunday,
December 16, 2001
(Session with U.S. troops at Bagram airfield, Afghanistan)
Rumsfeld: I see some familiar faces. Uh oh, there's the press.
I've had a busy day. We've had a good visit with Mr. [Hamed] Karzai
[the designated leader of Afghanistan's new interim government] and
Mr. Fahim Kahn [the new defense secretary designate]. Then we had an
opportunity to go around the base and see an awful lot of fine people
who are doing a truly world class job for our country. I am grateful
to be able to be here and say so in person.
We have every day watched what's going on in this country and watched
what you folks are doing with great pride that the skill and the
training and the discipline and the dedication that you all bring to
what you are doing. I must say that the president of the United
States, the commander in chief, has decided that this is an enormously
important task for our country, that our country is at risk and that
what you are doing is necessary and vital and critical to seeing that
we deal with those risks. He is determined to see that you have what
you need by way of equipment, by way of support, and that we let the
world know that our country cannot be attacked without consequences.
And you are bringing the consequences to the terrorists and the people
who have supported the terrorists here in Afghanistan.
General Tommy Franks is going to be out here and I know that you will
see him in a few days -- he'll be here over the holidays, I know --
he's coming in for the ceremony when Mr. Karzai of the interim
government is brought into power. He's a terrific combatant commander.
I've got all the confidence in the world in him, as does the president
of the United States, and I know that you'll have a chance to meet and
shake hands and visit with him as well.
What we are about here is not complicated. The United States was, as
you well know, was attacked and thousands of people were killed. The
terrorists have vowed to continue those attacks. The terrorists are
located all across the globe in a number of networks. This country
happened to be one of the principal nations that was harboring those
terrorists.
Our assignment is to deal with the terrorist networks globally. With
respect to Afghanistan, the task is to see that we deal with the
senior Taliban leadership -- that we get them and see that they are
punished and that the remainder of the Taliban are disarmed and no
longer a threat to this country or anyone else. It's to deal with the
al Qaeda leadership, to see that they are captured or killed and that
the remainder of the al Qaeda are imprisoned so that they don't escape
across borders, regroup and continue their terrorist activities. And
it's to see that the Taliban government is gone from this country and
that this country stops harboring terrorists.
From a humanitarian standpoint, needless to say, the people of the
United States want to do what we can to see that the people of
Afghanistan, who have had a very tough time, who have been repressed
and have had three years of drought, are in fact provided the kinds of
food and medicine and assistance that our country and the other
countries of the world are anxious to provide them.
Last, we want to try to do what we can -- and we can't make it
-- we can't do it ourselves but we want to be as helpful as we can to
try to see that the new government here is a government that is
representative of the people, that it is a government that will see
that this country is a good neighbor to the many countries that
surround it, and five years from now, it doesn't go back into a
terrorist training camp.
So what you are doing is important. We appreciate it and I thank you
on behalf of the president and the people of the United States.
I'd be delighted to answer some questions -- first from you folks
(laughter) and then maybe from the press.
Q: Is there a time frame for going home?
Rumsfeld: The question is, is there a time frame for going home? I
can't speak to individual rotations or unit rotations but in terms of
the United States of America's responsibility and task here, it is to
complete those assignments that I have outlined and there is no way to
know how long it is going to take, to find Omar and to find Osama bin
Laden and to find the senior al Qaeda leadership and to see that they
are punished. That will take some time. I'm sure that individual units
and individual people will be rotated, but as far as our presence
here, we're not leaving until we get the job done.
Q: Mr. Secretary, I've been reading Stars and Stripes and there are
going to be some peacekeeping troops in country within the next month
and I was wondering are U.S. troops going to be part of that?
Rumsfeld: The question is about peacekeeping troops in Afghanistan.
And the answer is that when the Afghans met in Bonn, they agreed that
they would like to have a -- they call it a security force -- and they
want to have it in Kabul to start with. They may want a security force
in some other portions of the country although that has not yet been
decided. Their present hope is that there will be a security force put
into Kabul sometime after December 22nd. It will be a coalition of the
world. It will be four or five countries. Very likely the United
Kingdom will be involved, possibly Turkey, possibly Germany and
possibly one or two others. It should be a relatively small force -- I
am thinking maybe three to five thousand at the most. The United
States is not going to participate in the force as such. We have
agreed to, as available, assist with intelligence and lift, and in the
event that they have problems, then we would obviously be available to
go in with some sort of quick reaction capability to assist them, as a
backup. That's the current situation, although I have heard rumbles
today that people are thinking about possibly one or two other cities
as well.
Q: Mr. Secretary, what took place September 11th was a tragedy. Bravo
Company, 187th, 10th Mountain Division is a part of this, since it
took place in our back yard. Is the country in this, participating in
this with us?
Rumsfeld: Oh, I think so. The attacks really were, to be sure in New
York and to be sure in Washington. But they were also against the
country. They were against our way of life, the fact that we are a
free people, that we intend to be free people. So there's just an
awful lot of people that are very proud that you folks are here and
wish you well.
Q: Once we've defeated the al Qaeda network, what's next for the
United States in our war on terrorism?
Rumsfeld: The question is, what's next in the war on terrorism. And
the answer is that the president and the government will be
considering that in the period ahead. Your job certainly is not over.
There are a number of countries that are known as being on the
terrorist list. There are a number of terrorist networks that exist
around the world.
The process that's in place is a bad one and it's going to take time.
That is to try to freeze their bank accounts. It's to try to arrest
people and gather information from them, such things as telephone
bills and notepads to discover where the linkages are. There have been
hundreds of people arrested all across the world that are being
interrogated today, and as that process goes forward, the linkages and
connections being made. There are obviously things being done that are
overt here in Afghanistan and there are also things being done that
are covert. There are a number of places that have served as terrorist
training areas and we will be, in fact not only will be but we already
are, interesting ourselves in some of those areas at the present time.
What else? Yes.
Q: Mr. Secretary, there's a report now from an alliance commander
saying that in the Tora Bora area, essentially they've captured all
the al Qaeda. Areas that they were fighting over are coming under
alliance control and the al Qaeda are on the run. Can you comment on
that?
Rumsfeld: Yes. I have not heard it through my sources, I have heard it
through some other sources here, that there have been a number of
people captured, there have been a number of people killed, there have
been a number of people wounded in the Tora Bora area and there is at
the present time not a fierce battle taking place. There are people
who are attempting to escape who are being run down, which of course
gets harder at night.
Q: Does that mean essentially over? Is the end drawing near?
Rumsfeld: The question is, does that mean it's almost over in that
area, and [the answer is] I doubt it.
Q: (inaudible)
Rumsfeld: Sounds like you want more C-17s. What is it?
Q: Since you were able to land a C-17 here during the daylight, does
that mean we can now expect more C-17s into the base during daylight
hours?
Rumsfeld: Why do you want them so badly and daylight flights?
Q: (inaudible)
Rumsfeld: I don't know the answer to your question. But as this area
gets more stable and more secure, and as it works out, I would expect
that to be the case. I have time for two more questions.
Q: (inaudible)
Rumsfeld: I don't know the answer. General Franks would be the one who
would be deciding which elements are being brought to which areas, and
how long they would be there and what their circumstances would be.
I'm afraid I'm just not in a position to answer the question.
Q: Mr. Secretary, the only question that I have is that it would be an
honor if I could receive a coin from you sir.
Rumsfeld: If you could receive a coin. (Cheers). Where is [SecDef
Military Assistant] Admiral Giambastiani? My wife made me stop
carrying it because it was making holes in my britches. There's one,
by golly.
Q: Thank you sir.
Rumsfeld: Good luck to you. Thank you!
Q: Mr. Secretary, could I ask you just very briefly how the talks with
Hamid Karzai went?
Rumsfeld: The talks with Mr. Karzai went well. We had a good
discussion and he is looking forward to the 22nd when he will be
installed as the interim government leader. He is anxious to be
cooperative with us in every possible way and he is very pleased and
appreciative of everything all the folks here and all across
Afghanistan from the U.S., and coalition forces have to done to make
what is happening all possible.
Q: Have all the pockets of resistance within Afghanistan been dealt
with?
Rumsfeld: No, they have not. There are still pockets of Taliban and al
Qaeda that exist in this country. There are also Taliban and al Qaeda
forces that have drifted into the mountains that could reform. There
is a good deal yet to be done.
I said I would answer two more questions and now I have answered four,
so now I am done. Thank you.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
