Rumsfeld Sees Proliferation as Greatest Threat from North Korea
(Says many countries are waiting to make purchases) (920)
By Jacquelyn S. Porth
Washington File Staff Writer
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told members of Congress February 13
that North Korea is more of a threat as a global proliferator of
weapons technology than as a nuclear aggressor on the Korean
Peninsula.
Appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee Rumsfeld
described North Korea as "the greatest proliferator of missile
technology." The defense secretary said North Korea has shown its
willingness "to sell almost anything," and he suggested that there are
"a lot of countries sitting around waiting to buy that type of
material."
Even though non-proliferation regimes have worked well in the past,
Rumsfeld said, "they're not working very well now." As an example he
pointed to the recent interception of a ship bound for Yemen with
North Korean missile technology aboard. Because there was no legal
authority to seize the material, he said the ship was left to complete
its journey.
Having returned from a brief trip to Europe February 9, Rumsfeld was
questioned closely about NATO aid for Turkey, which had been sought in
advance of any possible outbreak of war in Iraq. Rumsfeld expressed
disappointment that France, Germany and Belgium have been preventing
consensus within the alliance on Turkey. As a former U.S. Ambassador
to NATO, and as a second-time secretary of defense, he said the
process has "always been a little bumpy." But this time, the situation
is interesting, he said, "because the division is not between the
United States and Europe -- the division is within Europe."
With respect to Turkey's need for defensive capabilities, Rumsfeld
said it is unfortunate that three NATO members decided that "it was
premature to plan" ahead. They should know, he admonished: "You can't
do anything at the last minute in life. You have to plan it. You have
to get things moving."
Rumsfeld appeared together with the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff,
General Richard Myers. Myers said he expects a solution would soon be
found to supply the chemical and biological detection, anti-missile
and airborne warning support Turkey needs in such a way that it "would
not require political approval."
Rumsfeld was testifying on the Fiscal Year 2004 budget - the first one
that reflects fully the new national security strategy and policies of
the Bush administration, but the questions for the two officials
focused more on current events than the budget numbers and programs.
Myers was asked, for example, if the U.S. military is ready for
contingencies that include the ongoing war on terrorism and other
possible developments in places such as Asia and the Persian Gulf.
"Absolutely," the general responded.
On the potential forced regime change in Iraq, Rumsfeld said the U.S.
goal would be to try to ensure "that what resulted was better than
what was there beforehand." This means, he said, that the U.S.
military has to be willing to stay there as long as necessary to get
the job done, "but not one day longer." The official emphasized: "We
have no interest in other people's land or territory. We have no
interest in other people's oil."
The first priority for the U.S. military will be to find and eliminate
existing terrorist networks and weapons of mass destruction, Rumsfeld
said. Then, he said that he anticipated internationalizing the effort
quickly by bringing in other countries to carry out humanitarian aid
and civil reconstruction efforts. The goal with respect to a
successful transition of power, he said, will involve finding ways to
incorporate Iraqis from the inside who have not been a party to the
existing repressive regime as well as the Iraqi opposition that has
been operating in exile. The ultimate goal, he said, would be for the
Iraqi people to manage more and more functions, leaving less to be
managed by elements of the international community.
Rumsfeld was also asked about the possibility of realigning troops
overseas. Forward deployed forces "serve to reassure the world ...
that we have the ability to deter and defend against various types of
threats," he said, but there is room for review and possible
adjustments. He said the new South Korean president is seeking a
review and "rebalance" in some way on the Korean Peninsula. While
expressing a desire to ensure the defense of the peninsula, Rumsfeld
also said that he would like to see some U.S. forces move away from
the capital and the Demilitarized Zone "and be more oriented towards
an air hub and a sea hub."
Evaluations are also under way in Europe that would move some troops
out of Germany and down to Italy, according to Rumsfeld. But the
secretary made a point of saying that "it would be a mistake to
suggest that, if we do end up reducing some of those forces or moving
them to other countries, that it had anything to do with our
relationships with those countries, because it simply doesn't." He
said this is something that has been under way for months.
On the need for accurate, timely intelligence, Rumsfeld pointed out
that where the United States once had a single primary target -- the
former Soviet Union -- it now requires intelligence on dozens of
targets. The other problem, he explained, is that the new targets are
very closed societies -- some even more so than Russia. He described
obtaining intelligence about North Korea, for example, as "extremely
difficult."
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)
