"Any implication that the place has to be peaceful and perfect before we can reduce the coalition (presence) is unwise because it has never been peaceful and perfect, and it isn't likely to be," Rumsfeld told reporters after meeting with Iraq Prime Minster Ayad Allawi and other Iraqi officials at the Pentagon.

He said the desired end state in Iraq is not a perfect democracy but a country that is at peace with its neighbors, doesn't have weapons of mass destruction and that has a government that is respectful of women and minorities.

He acknowledged that the presence of coalition troops in Iraq inflames tensions, and said the United States is trying to "balance the numbers against the disadvantages of an excessively large footprint" until Iraqi forces can take over.

"Our goal is to invest the time, money and effort to train up Iraqi force to take over their region," he said.

Rumsfeld blamed the media for the pessimism surrounding Iraq, saying that 200, 300 or 400 people are murdered in the United States. "We just don't see each homicide on television every night."

"People do bad things. The idea that Iraq has to be peaceful is--" Rumsfeld said, and completed the thought by wiggling his fingers next to his head.

Rumsfeld acknowledged, however, that Iraq is a place of great violence.

"We recognize there is an increased level of violence as we move toward these elections and a free and peaceful Iraq is a powerful blow ... to extremists who are determined to have the world their way," he said.

"To go ahead ... will demand the leadership there (in Iraq) have steel in their spines, but they do," Rumsfeld said.

The elections he references are slated to take place in January. They would elect a replacement government for the appointed interim government headed by Allawi, now in place. The new government would serve for just a year, when another election would be held in concert with the introduction of a new constitution.

The pace of violence - with kidnappings of foreigners and suicide attacks on Iraqi security forces and recruits leading the news - may make it difficult for election to be carried out throughout the country. Of special concern are such places as Fallujah, where insurgents hold the power and which has been declared a virtual no-go zone for U.S. forces.

"Former regime elements and terrorists obviously don't want there to be elections, because the Iraqi people overwhelmingly want there to be elections," Rumsfeld said. "We are dealing with those areas that aren't as peaceful as I would want."

Rumsfeld suggested in a Senate hearing Thursday that the security situation might prevent people from voting in some places in Iraq, but said an imperfect election is better than not having one. It was a sentiment echoed Thursday by Allawi in various speeches around Washington.

But that pragmatism - or resignation - was not embraced by Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage Friday.

"We're going to have an election that is free and open and that has to be open to all citizens. It's got to be our best effort to get it into troubled areas as well," Armitage said at a House hearing.

Rumsfeld also defended his statistics regarding the manning and readiness of Iraqi security forces. According to Pentagon charts, there are some 99,700 "fully trained and equipped" Iraqi forces of various stripes - police, army, National Guard. However, by the Pentagon's own numbers they are short 20,000 sets of body armor, most of which is needed by the Iraqi National Guard, which is involved in firefights or is on patrol daily.

Only 10,600 vehicles on hand when 37,000 are needed, and there are only 18,600 sets of radios where the requirement is for 104,500. Once again the Iraqi National Guard is shortchanged: There are only 427 radio sets for a force of 38,600. Weapons are in ample supply: 168,500 are on hand.

"Not everyone needs a weapon. If you are sitting in an office you don't need armor," Rumsfeld said.

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