Sen Warner: We just completed a briefing of the Senate. Almost three quarters of the Senate, over 70 members came for an hour and half for a very thorough, in-depth exchange first with the Joint Staff Intelligence, followed by the Secretary and the chairman.
Mr. Secretary.
Rumsfeld: Questions.
Q: (inaudible) Japan has no plans to withdraw the troops from Iraq. May I have comment on that?
Rumsfeld: I have not seen – you say that the Japan – the government of Japan has announced they have no plans to withdraw their troops from Iraq -- is that what you said?
Q: (Inaudible)
Rumsfeld: Well, I have not seen the report but clearly that is a good – a sound position and it’s appreciated.
Q: Sir, will there be any significant relocation of the troops (inaudible)?
Rumsfeld: We don’t talk about movement of troops in a country.
(Cross talk)
Rumsfeld: When we have announcements to make, with respect to deployments or redeployments, we tend to make them after the fact. What I have said and what General Myers said yesterday is that we are at a circumstance in the country where we were moving 115,000 in and 115,000 out. And we made a conscious decision at the request of General Abizaid to take advantage of the fact that we had a overlap and higher number than unusual – we’re up to 135,000 right now – and that we were going to – General Abizaid was going to indicate to us which of those forces he would like to remain in-country for some period to deal with the current situation.
Q: Mr. Secretary, (inaudible) Iraqi security forces in (inaudible), why don’t they (inaudible)?
Rumsfeld: Well, they’ve lost over 250 people killed in action, so the suggestion that they’re not out providing security for the country of Iraq would be a misunderstanding of the situation.
Q: Mr. Secretary, have you seen images today (inaudible)?
Rumsfeld: Well, of course terrorists have been doing that type of thing for hundreds of years.
Unknown: Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary.
Rumsfeld: Thank you.
Q: Appreciate it.
Rumsfeld: Good to see you. Thank you, sir.