Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Henry Rumsfeldis an American politician and businessman. Rumsfeld served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He is both the youngest and the second oldestperson to have served as Secretary of Defense. Additionally, Rumsfeld was a three-term U.S. Congressman from Illinois, Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, Counsellor to the President, the United States Permanent...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth9 July 1932
CityEvanston, IL
CountryUnited States of America
This country has gone in a short period from a haven for terrorists to a coalition ally in the war against terrorism, ... Freedom is clearly taking root in this country, and Afghanistan is on a path to become a model for freedom and moderation in the Muslim world.
As conditions on the ground there permit and require, obviously the commanders on the ground will recommend that coalition forces and US forces pare down as responsibility is transferred to Iraqis,
an obligation to assist in providing security, and the coalition forces are doing that. They're patrolling in various cities. Where they see looting, they're stopping it.
the sooner it is done, the fewer Iraqis that will be killed, the fewer Americans or coalition forces that will be killed.
So I think we'll see the coalition forces being able to pare down,
The worst thing you can do is allow a coalition to determine what your mission is.
Our hope is that as we build up Iraqi forces we will be able to relieve the stress on our forces and see a reduction in coalition forces over some period of time, probably post-Iraqi election.
I think that will save American lives and save coalition lives and be a great benefit to the Iraqi people to be free of that,
Whatever is needed will be sent, and it won't be just U.S., ... It'll be coalition forces.
The goal is to have the pressure be so great that Saddam Hussein cooperates, ... Short of that -- an unwillingness to cooperate -- the goal is to have the capabilities of the coalition so clear and so obvious that there is an enormous disincentive for the Iraqi military to fight against the coalition.
The Coalition of Iraqi forces have completed the move for all practical purposes from the north to the south. They are operating in one way or another in much, if not all, parts of the city at the present time.
increase the number of special operations forces available for missions worldwide, while expanding their capabilities in some key areas.
It's not going to take years, and it's not going to take days. It'll take some months. And then we will go back to the president with our recommendations as to what we believe are the priorities and what needs to be done,
It's not an effort against the Afghan people, ... Indeed, we are providing humanitarian assistance.