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30 June 2003

Rumsfeld Says Iraq Coalition Now Fighting "War with Terrorists"

(Defense Department Report, June 30: Iraq operations) (750)
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says that while the liberation of
Iraq is complete, "our war with terrorists in Iraq, Afghanistan and
across the globe continues" and it "will not be over any time soon."
Briefing reporters at the Pentagon June 30, Rumsfeld said coalition
forces are dealing with looters, criminals who were let out of prison,
remnants of the Ba'athist regime, and foreign terrorists who came to
Iraq to oppose the coalition, as well as those influenced by Iran.
"What one has to do is to keep putting pressure on all of those
categories and know that no one raid or five raids is going to deal
with the entire problem," the secretary said. "The problem is going to
be dealt with over time as the Iraqis assume more and more
responsibility for their own country and are able to have an Iraqi
face on the activities that are taking place in that country, which
are for the benefit of the Iraqi people."
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Richard Myers, who joined
Rumsfeld at the briefing, pointed out that "more and more Iraqis are
helping the coalition find weapons caches and ... regime officials
that we want," calling this "a very positive trend."
Providing an operational update, Myers said Operation Desert Scorpion,
which was completed over the weekend, resulted in the detention of
over 1,300 individuals; confiscation of 500 AK-47s, over 200 hand
grenades, and over 100 rocket-propelled grenades; and the recovery of
over $9 million and 1.5 billion Iraqi dinars.
He said Operation Sidewinder began June 29 with the purpose of
establishing a secure and stable environment by destroying or seizing
paramilitary forces, Ba'ath loyalists and weapons and ammo caches.
Already, elements of the 4th Infantry Division have conducted 27 raids
in which 61 individuals were detained and several machine guns and
assorted ammunition confiscated, he said.
Rumsfeld told a questioner that coalition forces are actively
searching for Saddam Hussein, his two sons and other regime leaders,
adding that "the absence of closure is unhelpful." On the one hand, he
noted, there are Iraqis who benefited from the former regime who want
Saddam Hussein back in power. And there is a far larger group of
Iraqis who are afraid he might still return.
"They're not going to come back," he said  "That's for sure."
Asked about the June 18 attack on a convoy near the Syrian border,
Rumsfeld said five Syrians who were wounded and treated "are all back
in Syria." He said some 20 people were captured and some 17 were
immediately released. As of June 27, the other two "were still being
interrogated," Myers added.
On the issue of troop levels in Iraq, Rumsfeld said the newly-named
CENTCOM commander, General John Abizaid, will report to him by
mid-July on his evaluation of future troop needs.
Myers said there are currently just under 150,000 U.S. troops and a
little over 12,000 coalition troops in Iraq, and two international
divisions are now "gearing up to come in."
Asked about recent comments by some senators on the importance of
internationalizing the forces, Rumsfeld said that "obviously everyone
agrees. We've been working for several months on internationalizing
it. ... We've had at least two international force-generation
meetings" and "discussions with something in excess of 20 nations
about what they will be able to provide. I don't know how anyone can
internationalize it more than that."
Myers said more forces from other countries will begin flowing into
Iraq in July and August "and probably [will] finish out in September."
He said there are two divisions, one led by Poland and one led by the
United Kingdom, and "there's a potential for a third." There are five
or six countries or more involved in each one of the divisions, he
added.
Rumsfeld told another questioner that "we have been encouraging NATO
to become more involved ... and encouraged them to assist Poland" in
the responsibilities it has agreed to undertake in Iraq.
And he said the United States, over the last several weeks, has talked
with some 70 countries about taking part in an international
peacekeeping force in Iraq. He said setting up such a force is a
complicated project that involves the Joint Staff, CENTCOM, and the
State Department, but "the response has been excellent."
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)