February 6, 2005, "No Exit" says Oracle of Arlington
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld gave an interview with the ABC News program This Week, and he said there was no timetable in place as to when Iraqi forces would be able to maintain security on their own. As I had predicted earlier, the best gauge of future policy in this area is Rumsfeld himself; Colin Powell is now gone, so we cannot hear what he says and then assume the opposite, and the President/Presidential Baby Sitter Incompetentalleezza Rice speak in virtual lock step, and generally, they speak in trial balloons for the most part.
No, only Secretary Rumsfeld seems to have his finger on the pulse of where things are going vis a vis American war policy toward Southwest Asia, specifically the two "Ira" countries (Axis of Evil TM members Iraq and Iran).
And I must say, Rumsfeld appears to be back in top form:
On the subject at hand, Rumsfeld said he does not know when we will have trained enough Iraqis so they can secure the country and begin replacing American troops, quipping: "It's interesting to me that some people think they know that because it's not knowable."
As to disclosures of his two resignation letters to the President at the time the Abu Ghraib scandal broke, Rumsfeld said: "I told him I really thought he ought to carefully consider it. But he made a conscious decision, and life goes on, and here we are."
Rumsfeld was asked if there were U.S. military operations going on in Iran. "Not to my knowledge," he replied. Rumsfeld added that there are "too many unknown factors" to be able to say when Iraqis will be able to handle internal security.
As to Iran and Syria, Rumsfeld said, "We don't know the extent to which they're going to be unhelpful or helpful" to enabling Iraq to overcome the insurgency. Also uncertain, Rumsfeld said, is the extent to which "the political process is going to tip people away from supporting insurgency or being on the fence to supporting the government."
On a strategy of trying to cut off funds to the insurgency, he said "What you need to do is have the economic progress, the political progress which is going forward in such good style. And that will determine the level of the insurgency." . "And the level of the insurgency will determine the speed at which Iraqi security forces will be capable of managing that level of insurgency." He acknowledged there were are lot of "ifs," but added, "That's life."
On the abuse scandal at the prison near Baghdad, Rumsfeld said that as the Defense Department's leader, he took responsibility. "My goodness, it happened on my watch," he said. But, he added, "On the other hand, if secretaries of defense resigned every time someone did something they shouldn't do, out of the millions of people involved in the defense establishment — or a mayor or a governor, something happened in their country, you wouldn't have anyone in public office. So it's a tough calculation."
Helpfully, Rumsfeld said he had no idea whether a limited military strike could lead to the overthrow of Iran's religious leadership. He hoped for change from inside the country.
"I was amazed at how rapidly the shah of Iran fell and the ayatollahs took over that country. It happened just seemingly like that, looking at it from outside. ... So we can't predict these things. We don't have intelligence that good. I just don't know," Rumsfeld said.
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, ladies and gentlemen. He'll be here all week, and held over for the next four years or so. The man is a national treasure. Now if we could only figure out of what country...
Comments
Hey, he's an old man! All this uncertainty can only help him down the road (and in Belgium) when he has to deny any knowledge of war crimes, or war, or anything. Think Iran-Contra. Someone should. Remember, Rumsfeld has his own commandos now.
Posted by irisclara at February 7, 2005 5:29 AM
Public officials like Rumsfeld make the idea of having no one in public office mighty tempting...
Posted by Beth at February 7, 2005 9:05 PM