|
US Defence Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld has warned it may be years before the
insurgency in Iraq is defeated. Speaking on US
television, Mr Rumsfeld said ultimately Iraq's own
forces, rather than coalition troops, would beat the
insurgents.
Earlier, Mr Rumsfeld said US officials in Iraq have
had talks with leaders of the insurgency.
It comes amid growing concern in the US about rising
casualties and warnings that the insurgency is
strengthening.
Recent opinion polls in the United States have shown
a considerable drop in support for the US-led
invasion of Iraq.
President George W Bush is to make a prime-time
address to the nation about the situation in Iraq on
Tuesday.
More than 1,000 people - mostly Iraqis - have been
killed since the new government was installed in
April.
Domestic concerns
The US defence secretary told Fox News:
"Insurgencies tend to go on five, six, eight, 10, 12
years.
"Coalition forces, foreign forces, are not going to
repress that insurgency. We're going to create an
environment that the Iraqi people and the Iraqi
security forces can win against that insurgency."
Mr Rumsfeld warned that violence could escalate
ahead of new elections for a permanent government,
due in December.
Maintaining domestic support for a continuing role
in Iraq was crucial, Mr Rumsfeld said, but he warned
about paying too much attention to a myriad of
opinion polls.
"If you start chasing polls, you're going to get
seasick," he said.
"The task for the president and the government and
the military leadership is to show that progress is
being made, which it is."
The senior US general in the Middle East, John
Abizaid, also called for Americans to remain calm.
"We don't need to fight this war looking over our
shoulder worrying about the support back home."
The BBC's Ian Pannell in Washington says the White
House, engaged in a public relations offensive, is
worried by the rising casualties, the ongoing
insurgency and waning domestic support.
The latest remarks by Mr Rumsfeld would suggest that
managing expectations is now an important part of
White House strategy, our correspondent says.
Meetings downplayed
During a round of network TV interviews, Mr Rumsfeld
made light of a report by a British newspaper that
said US officials have secretly met with Iraqi
insurgents.
Meetings go on "all the time", Mr Rumsfeld said,
adding that Iraq's government often initiates
contact.
"I would not make a big deal out of it.
Mr Rumsfeld denied a Sunday Times report that the US
met with Ansar al-Sunna, which has carried out
suicide bombings, and several other Islamist groups.
"There's no one negotiating with Zarqawi or the
people that are out chopping people's heads off...
but they're certainly reaching out continuously, and
we help to facilitate those from time to time," Mr
Rumsfeld said.
A statement allegedly from the leader of Ansar al-Sunna
was also posted on the internet denying all contact.
"Jihad is the only way to restore dignity to this
nation. Without this dignity, the nation will be
shamed and defeated," the statement said.
www.bbc.co.uk
Top |
® 