Rumsfeld Dismisses Reports of Plans To Attack Iran

Rumsfeld Dismisses Reports of Plans To Attack Iran, United States, allies attempting to resolve nuclear standoff diplomatically. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld responds to a reporter's question during the Pentagon press briefing in Arlington, Va., on April 11, 2006. Rumsfeld and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace, U.S. Marine Corps, discussed timelines and prewar planning for Iraq. DoD photo by R. D. Ward. (Released)

Washington – The United States and its allies are working toward a diplomatic solution to resolve the ongoing standoff with Iran over its nuclear program, says Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

“The United States of America is on a diplomatic track. That is the president's decision. That's where our European allies are,” Rumsfeld told journalists at an April 11 Pentagon press briefing, where he was joined by Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Rumsfeld’s comments follow several days of media reports alleging that the Pentagon is planning a military strike against Iran’s nuclear sites if the Iranian government refuses to cooperate with the international community’s demand for full disclosure about its covert nuclear programs. (See related article.)

Rumsfeld said that the Department of Defense continually develops contingency plans, from military action to humanitarian assistance missions, to meet a host of possible security threats. “I am always thinking that maybe there's something we've not thought of or something we could do better,” he said.

Reporters asked whether the United States would be able to meet emerging security threats, given the sizeable commitment of its troops in Iraq. Pace answered that with 2 million active-duty U.S. troops available in addition to those currently deployed in Iraq, the United States has “sufficient personnel, weapons, equipment, you name it, to handle any adversary that might come along.”

“There is obviously concern about Iran,” Rumsfeld said, “It's a country that supports terrorists. It's a country that has indicated an interest in having weapons of mass destruction.” (See related article.)

But, referring to reports that the United States has imminent plans to attack Iran, he said that, “it is just simply not useful to get into fantasyland.” (See related article.)

A transcript of the briefing is available on the Defense Department’s Web site.

For more information, see Arms Control and Non-Proliferation and Response to Terrorism. Created: 11 Apr 2006 Updated: 12 Apr 2006

Technorati Tags: President Bush and White House or Secretary of Defense and Donald Rumsfeld and Middle East or War on Terror and Iran or Pentagon and nuclear programs or General Peter Pace and Joint Chiefs of Staff or Department of Defense

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