10 February 2003
Rumsfeld, Howard Say Iraq Must Disarm Swiftly to Avoid Conflict
(Australian leader sees value in another U.N. resolution on Iraq) (760) By Jacquelyn S. Porth Washington File Security Affairs Writer Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Australian Prime Minister John Howard stood side-by-side at the Pentagon February 10 to signal Iraq that "the game is up" and it must disarm swiftly to avoid conflict - with both still expressing hope that force would not be necessary. The two officials met at the Defense Department to discuss the situation in Iraq, the war on terrorism, and Australia's pre-deployments of military forces, alongside their British and American counterparts, to the Persian Gulf region. Howard said his country has pre-deployed forces not only because it believes that all the heavy lifting should not rest with the United States and the United Kingdom, but because it sends to Iraq "a new and sharper signal when you pre-deploy." Rumsfeld spoke only a day after he returned from key meetings in Europe with NATO members and shortly after France, Germany and Belgium expressed opposition to a request from Ankara that NATO institute measures in defense of Turkey in advance of any outbreak of war. The defense secretary said U.S. officials held out hope until the very last minute that these three countries "would not do what they've now done." He said it is unfortunate and a mistake that these three expressed "stark disagreement with the rest of their NATO allies." Yet he reminded reporters that there are 19 members in the alliance, so "it's 16 to three." Rumsfeld said he expects Turkey will come back to NATO and re-submit the request "through a different mechanism." Turkey has been seeking Patriot anti-missile batteries, chemical and biological detection units, and support from AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control Systems) aircraft - all of which "are defensive" in nature, according to the secretary. The United States, he said, wants to ensure that defense planning moves ahead -- ideally within NATO -- "but, if not, bilaterally or (in the context of) multiple bilaterals." Should France, Germany and Belgium continue to obstruct planning, Rumsfeld said, he expects NATO would find a way, eventually, to achieve what the majority of the alliance believes is necessary, adding, "my guess is that the other 16 nations of NATO would form a coalition to provide that kind of assistance." The secretary reminded his audience that moderate, Muslim Turkey is an important ally in NATO. "And it seems to me," he said, "that those three countries taking that position prevents NATO form fulfilling its obligation to a NATO ally." Howard expressed hope that military conflict with Iraq can be avoided, but he said no one in the modern world is immune from the threat of terrorism and "we have to go on doing things that address threats to the world." The Australian leader said, "If anybody imagines you're going to reduce terrorism by turning your back on problems such as Iraq, my view is, you will increase the likelihood of terrorism, and you [will] increase the potential damage that further terrorist attacks will do." As close friends, Howard said Australia and the United States face "the threat around the world of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of rogue states and the frightening possibility that those same weapons could fall into the hands of international terrorists." That, he said, "is a new dimension of instability," replacing some of the older threats. "And that's the motivation for what Australia has been doing, in partnership with the United States, concerning Iraq." Rumsfeld thanked Australia and expressed American gratitude for its support and cooperation for many decades, and particularly for its recent efforts related to the war on terrorism. Howard also raised the desirability of passing another U.N. resolution on Iraq as part of the mounting international political and diplomatic pressure on a recalcitrant regime in Baghdad. The value of another strong resolution "will be the additional diplomatic heat it puts on Iraq," the prime minister said. Instead of referring to another U.N. resolution as the second one, as many do, Rumsfeld suggested "calling it the 18th resolution," which he said it will be - "if there is to be one." Finally, Rumsfeld expressed puzzlement that so many media reports make reference to possible "unilateral" American military action in the Gulf . He said U.S. officials have "already heard from a large number of countries that (say they) would participate in a coalition of the willing." (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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