"Let me just get this off my chest," Rumsfeld said in response to a question about the article. "I have no idea who these people talked to. But I'll tell you, if I were a journalist, I would ... remember who they are, and I'd write their name down, and I would rank them right at the bottom in terms of reliability, credibility, judgment [and] knowledge."
"The people peddling that stuff are wrong, and the people writing it should check things out better," he added later.
Citing "senior Bush administration officials," the Times reported that U.S. military planners were hoping to gain permanent access to as many as four military bases inside Iraq, which would project American power in the region much like the troops stationed in Germany, Japan and South Korea after earlier wars.
Such a move would fuel Arab suspicions that the war was launched in Iraq to increase American military and economic influence in the Middle East.
"The impression that's left around the world is that we plan to occupy the country, we plan to use their bases over the long period of time, and it's flat false," said Rumsfeld. "Now, what is going on? There are four bases that the U.S. is using in that country to help bring in humanitarian assistance, to help provide for stability operations. And are they doing that? Sure. But does that have anything to do with the long term footprint? Not a whit."
"The people peddling that stuff are wrong, and the people writing it should check things out better," he added later.
Citing "senior Bush administration officials," the Times reported that U.S. military planners were hoping to gain permanent access to as many as four military bases inside Iraq, which would project American power in the region much like the troops stationed in Germany, Japan and South Korea after earlier wars.
Such a move would fuel Arab suspicions that the war was launched in Iraq to increase American military and economic influence in the Middle East.
"The impression that's left around the world is that we plan to occupy the country, we plan to use their bases over the long period of time, and it's flat false," said Rumsfeld. "Now, what is going on? There are four bases that the U.S. is using in that country to help bring in humanitarian assistance, to help provide for stability operations. And are they doing that? Sure. But does that have anything to do with the long term footprint? Not a whit."
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