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September 10, 2004
[Have an opinion about the issues discussed in this article?
Sound
off in our Discussion Boards.]
By Patrick Dickson,
Stars and Stripes European Edition
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told journalists
at the National Press Club on Friday that the Iraqi interim government
understands the problem of insurgents having sanctuary, as do coalition
leaders, and that dangerous cities will be taken back one way or
the other.
“In Najaf, [U.S. forces] could have gone in and taken over the
town; [we] had the military power to do it,” he said. “And they
had Iraqi forces ready to take care of the shrines, so the coalition
forces wouldn’t have to do it.
“It turned out they didn’t have to. The fact that it was clear
to [Muqtada] al-Sadr and his crowd — the militia — that they did
have the ability to do that was what led al-Sadr to get out of town
and turn in their weapons.
“There are other places that will be taken by force and it’s really
going to be a choice between the people in those towns and I don’t
mean the innocent Iraqi people, the overwhelmingly majority of which
support the government … what will take place in Fallujah: It will
be restored under the control of the Iraqi government. We just don’t
know how; whether it’ll be done peacefully or by force.”
Rumsfeld cautioned that there will be no clear sign of victory
in the global war on terror, but that it is a necessary action and
one that will ultimately make the world safer.
“We can’t make people safe, because terrorists can attack at any
time, any place, using any technique. It’s not possible to defend
in every place in the world, at every moment, day or night, against
every conceivable threat.”
Rumsfeld was asked about President Bush’s
recent comments that the war against terror
cannot be won.
“It isn’t the kind of a war that ends with a signing ceremony on
the [USS] Missouri. … There’s some things that you have to keep
working on.
“We’ve got a bunch of people sending money to schools that put
these young people in there and teach them how to go out and kill
… and lie to them, and tell them that they’re going to go to heaven!
Will there maybe always be people out there who will try to pollute
young minds? Maybe there will be, in which case, we’re going to
have to keep working the problem.”
When asked about the administration’s efforts in the pursuit of
Osama
bin Laden:
“[Osama bin Laden] has not been seen on video since 2001. Why is
he busy? It’s because of the pressure we have put on him.”
“This task we have is to do everything humanly possible to try
to protect the American people, and this government has done a lot
to make this world safer, and this coalition has done a lot to make
this world safer."
“The great sweep of human history is freedom, and that is on our
side.”
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