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M2 PRESSWIRE-31 October 2003-US DOD: News transcript. Page 1 of 2.(C)1994-2003 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:10302003

DoD News Briefing: Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld

SEC. RUMSFELD: Good afternoon. General Myers is not here, as you may have noticed. My friend is meeting with the chief of the armed services of Spain at the present time.

The task in Iraq remains difficult and dangerous. But as Jerry Bremer and John Abizaid, who were here, have said, there has been progress across a range of coalition activities over the past six months.

Our plan called for the establishment of an Iraqi cabinet of ministers, and the coalition did it in four months. It took 14 months in post-war Germany.

The plan called for the establishment of an independent Iraqi central bank. The coalition did it in two months. It took three years in post-war Germany.

Our plan called for the establishment of a new Iraqi currency. The coalition announced a new currency in two months, and begin circulating new Iraqi dinars in five months. It took three years in post-war Germany.

The plan called for the establishment of a new Iraqi police force. The coalition accomplished it in two months. It took 14 months in post-war Germany.

The plan called for the establishment of a new Iraqi army. The coalition began training within three months, and the first battalion had completed training in less than five months. It took 10 years in post- war Germany.

In less than six months, we've gone from zero Iraqis providing security to their country -- you don't have that chart; there it is -- to close to 100,000 Iraqis currently under arms. Indeed, the progress has been so swift that Iraq is already the second largest of the security forces in the coalition. It will not be long before they will be the largest and outnumber the U.S. forces, and it shouldn't be too long thereafter that they will outnumber all coalition forces combined.

Some have suggested that any statement that raises awareness of these successes is putting an optimistic face on a difficult security situation. Not so.

Every time we've discussed progress in Iraq, I have made clear that the situation in the country remains dangerous and that there will be setbacks.

Nonetheless, we have made an effort to point out the progress, because until we did so, progress was being largely ignored in the press. The American people were hearing plenty about terrorist bombings and sabotage, which exist, but precious little about the achievements that had been racked up by the brave men and women in both civilian and military who are serving in Iraq.

The difficult security situation makes the progress being made all the more remarkable. Not only has the coalition managed to outpace the progress in postwar Germany, Japan, Bosnia or Kosovo, they have done it under fire, while fighting a dangerous, low-intensity conflict, and they have done it not in a pacified country, but while fighting...

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