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No decision to pull troops out of Iraq early: Rumsfeld
Andersen Air Force Base (Guam), Nov 14: US and coalition forces will not leave Iraq any earlier despite a new US effort to speed up the return of sovereignty to Iraqis, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today.
Andersen Air Force Base (Guam), Nov 14: US and
coalition forces will not leave Iraq any earlier despite a new
US effort to speed up the return of sovereignty to Iraqis, US
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today.
"There is no decision to pull out early, indeed quite the
contrary. The President has made the statement that we will
stay there as long as is necessary," Rumsfeld said.
Rumsfeld made the statement during a session here with service members, one of whom asked about media reports that suggested President George W Bush has decided to pull US forces out of Iraq early.
"The stories that suggested that are inaccurate," Rumsfeld replied.
He said Ambassador Paul Bremer, the civilian head of the coalition in Baghdad, was returning to Iraq to attempt to accelerate the transfer of sovereignty and responsibility for the country's security to Iraqis.
He said experts had concluded that it would take a couple of years to transfer sovereignty under the original US plan, which was to have waited until a new constitution has been drafted and elections are held.
"And the governing council has come up with some ideas which they communicated to Ambassador Bremer and which he then communicated to the President and to the national security council," he said.
Bureau Report
Rumsfeld made the statement during a session here with service members, one of whom asked about media reports that suggested President George W Bush has decided to pull US forces out of Iraq early.
"The stories that suggested that are inaccurate," Rumsfeld replied.
He said Ambassador Paul Bremer, the civilian head of the coalition in Baghdad, was returning to Iraq to attempt to accelerate the transfer of sovereignty and responsibility for the country's security to Iraqis.
He said experts had concluded that it would take a couple of years to transfer sovereignty under the original US plan, which was to have waited until a new constitution has been drafted and elections are held.
"And the governing council has come up with some ideas which they communicated to Ambassador Bremer and which he then communicated to the President and to the national security council," he said.
Bureau Report