16 October 2003
Rumsfeld Says Passage of New U.N. Resolution on Iraq Is "A Plus"
Myers says smugglers and jihadists are captured in Iraq
By Jacquelyn S. Porth
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says it is certainly a plus that the United Nations passed a new U.S.-backed resolution on Iraq October 16 and that it may encourage more nations to send troops there and promote additional financing for Iraqi reconstruction.
Rumsfeld told reporters at the Pentagon October 16 that "it's a good thing that it passed" because "it will have a favorable effect in some countries that have indicated they would prefer to have an additional U.N. Security Council resolution" on Iraq.
Asked about the possibility of additional troop contributions from countries beyond the 32 currently in Iraq, Rumsfeld said there would have to be a memorandum of understanding worked out as to where additional troops would be located, what their role would be, and how they would be supplied and equipped. "We're very pleased with the action taken by the government of Turkey" in offering troops for Iraq, he added.
The secretary also said passage of the U.N. resolution would make it easier for international financial lending institutions "to participate in helping the rebuilding of Iraq."
On the subject of the Bush administration's $20 billion ($20,000 million) request to Congress to help put Iraq on the path to stability, democracy and self-government, Rumsfeld said the appropriation is necessary because it is in the U.S. national interest.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Richard Myers, who shared the podium with the secretary, provided a situational update on Iraq. While making reference to many difficult challenges still ahead, he expressed optimism "that the fruits of our labor will pay huge dividends in the future." Across Iraq, Myers said, coalition forces "are having some good successes."
"Operations in Iraq continue to be aimed at providing a safe and secure environment for the Iraqi people while countering efforts by former regime loyalists and terrorists attempting to disrupt our coalition efforts," the general said. "We continue to receive assistance from the Iraqi populace in identification of weapons caches and individuals involved in attacks on our forces."
While there are still dangerous individuals in Iraq who seek to prevent the development of a free country, Myers said, "we have made, in many cases, great strides in reducing the amount of weapons on the streets."
Myers provided some details about recent weapons discoveries that have occurred due to assistance from Iraqis who have stepped forward with tips. In one recent case, he said, four rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launchers, 200 RPG rounds, 400 RPG boosters and almost 200 high-explosive rockets were confiscated.
He also cited "Operation Chamberlain," which seeks to intercept those smuggling weapons and money in the southwest of Iraq, and "Operation Sweeney," which is targeting oil and fuel smuggling in the south of the country.
Rumsfeld, noting that Iran is linked to terrorism by its sponsorship of Hezbollah and other terrorist groups, said that al-Qaida has found haven there, sparking U.S. concern about possible cross border activity from Iran to Afghanistan and from Iran to Iraq.
Asked about efforts to link al-Qaida with recent anti-coalition attacks in Iraq, Myers said "we suspect that they have probably aided, in some cases, but we have yet to tie them to any of these major attacks." He also noted that the Ansar al-Islam terrorist group, which has al-Qaida ties, is active in Iraq. But he said one of its key figures was captured in Mosul last week and coalition officials are hoping his capture will result in fresh intelligence.
Rumsfeld and Myers were asked about troop morale following a recent, informal poll conducted by the newspaper "Stars and Stripes" that suggested morale is declining. Myers indicated that the conditions in Iraq are harsh and dangerous, but said quality of life improvements are in train, including rotations and organized rest and recuperation periods for U.S. troops.
Myers said he and Rumsfeld do seek and receive accurate feedback about American troops serving in the Middle East and Asia. He said they had met earlier in the day, for example, with a congressional delegation that had just returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. Both men have encouraged delegations to visit the troops to take their pulse and bring back an accurate picture of current operations in those countries.
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs Powell Moore, who introduced the delegation at a press briefing after they met with Rumsfeld and Myers, said: "We continue to encourage members of the House and Senate to visit Iraq and Afghanistan." So far, he said, 74 members of the House and 25 from the Senate have made the journey.
One member of the delegation, Senator Mitch McConnell (Republican, Kentucky), said the $20 billion reconstruction package under consideration in Congress "is the key to getting the troops home" by helping Iraq get back on its feet. While security remains an issue, he said, Iraq "is well on its way to getting on its feet with American help."
Senator Larry Craig (Republican, Idaho) reported some of the "good news" about Iraq that he and his colleagues witnessed during their trip to Baghdad and Mosul, including flowing electricity, open schools, active commerce, and bustling traffic. McConnell reported that he had been told by a commander who served in Bosnia that more progress has been achieved in Iraq "in six months than we'd made in six years in Bosnia."
While noting that he had opposed the Iraq war, Senator Lincoln Chafee (Republican, Rhode Island) said the people the delegation encountered were "happy to get the heavy boot of Saddam Hussein off their necks."
Asked to comment on news reports that Lieutenant General William "Jerry" Boykin, deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence, had made public comments casting the war on terrorism in religious terms, Rumsfeld said that, while he had not read the transcript of Boykin's remarks, President Bush has said that the war on terrorism "is not a war against a religion...a people, or a country" but against "a group of people who have taken the subject of terrorism and tried to hijack a religion and make it look like that's part of their religion -- which it is not."
Bush also has made a point of visiting mosques in the United States, the secretary said, and meeting with Islamic leaders.
"There are a lot of things ... said by people in the military...civilian life...in Congress, or in the executive branch that are their views," the secretary said, "and that's the way we live. We're a free people. And that's the wonderful thing about our country."
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2003&m=October&x=20031016190747htrop0.893429&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html
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