-- DJ WRAP: Rumsfeld Urges Patience As UN Studies Iraq Report --
CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar (AP)--Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld rejected
suggestions Thursday that the U.S. is eager for war with Iraq, saying U.S.
officials intend to spend the next few weeks scrutinizing the weapons
declaration compiled by Baghdad.
Rumsfeld spoke inside a partially completed press center being built at Camp
As Sayliyah, a base in Qatar that likely would be used as a command post in any
conflict with Iraq. He visited Gen. Tommy Franks and his headquarters staff, who
are conducting a war game widely seen as a rehearsal for war.
Franks denied that the exercise was saber-rattling and insisted it was meant
only to test his troops and a new, portable command post deployed from Central
Command headquarters in Tampa, Fla. The 24-hour-a-day exercise, which was
planned before the Sept. 11 attacks and began Monday, includes Navy, Army, Air
Force, Marine Corps and special operations commanders in the region and the U.S.
Rumsfeld also denied a U.S. rush to war, saying it could take weeks to analyze
Iraq's weapons declaration for signs that Iraq is in violation of U.N.
resolutions, and also to discuss it with other members of the U.N. Security
Council.
"A declaration that is in thousands of pages in two languages has just arrived
in the early part of this week in the hands of the Security Council, it doesn't
seem unreasonable for our people to look at it, read it and analyze it,"
Rumsfeld said. "My impression is the United States is not pushing too hard. What
I've said here today is a reflection of it."
President George W. Bush has threatened to use military force if Iraqi leader
Saddam Hussein does not allow U.N. inspectors to identify and destroy Iraq's
chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. Rumsfeld said it remained unclear
whether war would be necessary and held out the possibility that Saddam would
voluntarily disarm, noting that Iraq is now more cooperative precisely because
of Bush's threat and the U.N. resolution.
"Because of those activities - and only because of those activities - there
now are inspectors in Iraq," Rumsfeld said. "And only time will tell the extent
to which they really are or are not going to cooperate."
Rumsfeld also toured the Joint Operations Center, met with Franks and other
commanders and then held a video teleconference with Navy, Marine Corps, Army,
Air Force and special operations commanders elsewhere in the Persian Gulf.
On the outskirts of the capital city of Doha, Rumsfeld had earlier given a pep
talk to several hundred troops. He reminded them of the death toll from the
Sept. 11 attacks and said their mission is to ensure that such an attack doesn't
happen again.
Commenting on a Washington Post report that Islamic extremists affiliated with
al-Qaida might have taken possession of VX, a chemical weapon, in Iraq, Rumsfeld
said the possibility "should come as no surprise to anybody."
But others strongly disputed the report. Iraq denied passing such weapons to
Osama bin Laden's supporters.
Counterterrorism and defense officials said they have no credible evidence
that Iraq supplied the nerve agent to al-Qaida operatives. Speaking to reporters
before leaving Qatar on Thursday, Rumsfeld demurred when asked whether credible
evidence exists. "I am inclined not to discuss intelligence information,"
Rumsfeld said.
U.S. intelligence has received reports - of questionable reliability - that
al-Qaida has sought chemical and biological weapons assistance from Iraq. But
there is no solid evidence Iraq actually provided any, officials said.
A senior administration official said that U.S. intelligence had
uncorroborated information that Islamic extremists with ties to al-Qaida may
have received a poisonous substance in Iraq, but the identity of the substance
and whether it came from Saddam's government is unknown.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer declined to comment on the Post report but
said, "We have long-standing concerns about Iraq providing weaponry to
al-Qaida."
Rumsfeld also told ABC's "Good Morning America" he had not seen the Post
article, but said "I have seen other information over a period of time that
suggests that could be happening." He said it has been known for some time that
"the terrorist states have chemical weapons and have relationships with al-Qaida
and that al-Qaida is trying to get such weapons."
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
12-12-02 1658ET- - 04 58 PM EST 12-12-02
12-Dec-2002 21:58:00 GMT
Source DJ - Dow Jones |
