Defence secretary on talk show, Franks in Centcom

(30 Mar 2003) Washington DC - 30 March 2003 1. US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld walks out of TV studio and walks up to microphones 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Rumsfeld, US Defence Secretary: "In terms of the two questions you posed, each are false. The number of forces is a judgement that was made as a result of General Franks developing a plan, working it with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, presenting it to me and the National Security Council and the President. It has been approved by everyone who has had a look at it. It's been described as an excellent plan. I'd be delighted to take credit for it but it wouldn't be fair because it is a product that is essentially General Franks', but certainly the result of a lot of thought from a lot of very fine military planners." 3. Cutaway of Rumsfeld speaking to reporters 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Rumsfeld, US Defence Secretary: "Resistance that has been encountered has been in pockets quite stiff. It's going to get more difficult. As we move closer to Baghdad there is no question but that you are going to begin confronting the Republican Guard. And I would suspect that the most dangerous and difficult days are still ahead of us. You say: 'wouldn't you like more troops on the ground?' There are more troops on the ground, and they're coming in every day. This has been planned - that was what his plan was. I haven't signed a new deployment order in days. These are deployments - that people were alerted months ago, they were brought on active duty, they were trained, they have been loading their ships, they have been sending their ships over there, they have been loading themselves into airplanes and flying over there. And it's a steady stream of people. And there will be as many people brought into that country as is necessary. But the one thing you can be certain of - it's going to end, and its going to end with the Iraqi people liberated. And we will have done it - we hope and pray - in a way that we're proud of, with a minimum loss of human life on our side, the coalition side, as well as on the side of the innocent Iraqi people who in many respects are hostages to that vicious regime." 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Rumsfeld, US Defence Secretary "The British forces are doing a superb job. There is just no question of it. Basra, at the present time, is still not completely subdued. But the British forces are in there, they are getting increasing intelligence from local people in that city telling them where the death squads are, where they can find these people who are shooting people. I shouldn't predict a time, but I can just tell you that the - no I'm not going to mention how long it will take. But they are doing a great job, believe me." 6. Rumsfeld walks away from microphone Doha, Qatar - 30 March 2003 7. General Tommy Franks enters CENTCOM 8. Cutaway journalist 9. Cutaway to journalist 10. SOUNDBITE (English) Journalist: "Seymour Hersch is apparently saying in an upcoming issue of the New Yorker magazine that Donald Rumsfeld specifically overruled you because you were seeking a delay when it wasn't possible to use the bases in Turkey. Can you comment on that? And can you also characterise how difficult life has been made for you by the Turkish decision." 11.SOUNDBITE (English) General Tommy Franks, US General in charge of coalition military operations in Iraq: 12. Cutaway media STORYLINE US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Sunday said the American plan for waging war in Iraq was excellent. Rumsfeld said the number of forces in place in Iraq was the result of a thorough planning by the military. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...