Washington, May 09: Defense secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today it is not possible to know how long us forces will have to remain in Iraq and suggested that stabilising the newly liberated country could take longer than a year.
During a news conference with Gen. Tommy Franks, Rumsfeld said a one-year timeline attached to the presence of US and British forces in Iraq was probably "just a review period" in the overall postwar plan.
"Anyone who thinks they know how long it's going to take is fooling themselves," Rumsfeld said. "It's not knowable."
Shortly before Rumsfeld spoke, the US and its allies asked the UN Security Council to approve a resolution lifting sanctions on Iraq and turning over to coalition control the country's oil revenue.
Franks, commander of all US-led forces in the region, said, “There are a lot of variables associated with the pace of the postwar transition, but that the change to a new form of government is smoothed by the fact that many anticipate scenario such as such as torching of Iraqi oil fields or Iraqi missile attacks on neighboring countries did not happen.”
"I have a sense that stability in the Red Sea region and in the Persian Gulf neighborhood is certainly as good as it was the day this started," Franks said.
``We are going to watch this nation form anew in accordance with what the Iraqi people themselves want to do,'' he said.
Bureau Report
