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Rumsfeld Says U.S. Will Find Iraqi WMD Materials

Sunday, April 13, 2003
SFC Doug Sample
U.S. Army
American Forces Press Service

Rumsfeld noted that finding Iraqi scientists with knowledge of Saddam's weapons program is important to the coalition. But, he said, the coalition is first concentrating on winning the war.

WASHINGTON -- AFIS
Saddam Hussein's scientific adviser surrendered to U.S. forces Saturday, proclaiming that Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction.

"Do you believe it?" NBC's "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert asked Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on today's edition.

"No, goodness no," the secretary responded.

Rumsfeld said he is convinced the Iraqi regime has squirreled its weapons of mass destruction around the country. He said the United States has evidence of Iraq's chemical and biological activities as well as the restart of its nuclear program.

"Iraqis have learned to live in an inspection environment -- they hid things, they've done it well, they have things underground and well dispersed," Rumsfeld observed.

He said the coalition will need help from Iraqis if it is to find all of Iraq's hidden secrets. "We won't find anything until we find people who tell us where the things are," he said.
(More: DefenseLINK.mil)
2003 © United States Department of Defense.

Dan