I'm scratching my head on this one bear...from the article:
Quote:"I have no communication with Iraq," the ambassador said.
Questioned about Al-Douri's comments, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said: "Well, I would say it wasn't a game, first."
Speaking in Washington, Rumsfeld said the war was "over" when Saddam refused to accept his last chance to cooperate with the U.N. disarmament resolutions. "It was only a matter of time after that."
Rumsfeld added that there was still lots of "difficult, dangerous" work ahead in Iraq.
Rumsfeld speaks plainly.
I assume it was the middle quote that you found to be particularly unctious.
Let's look at that one.
He says that when Saddam refused to comply with the UN disarmament resolution he had sealed his doom.
Uh, yeah, that pretty much sums it up.
Or was it this one. "It was only a matter of time after that".
Again, yes, there was never a doubt in most people's minds (was there one in yours?!?) that we would defeat the Iraqi's and bring down the reign of Saddam.
We are days from that happening, it took "weeks, not months"" (not my prediction, it was Dick Cheney's).
Rumsfeld refuses to cow to or capitulate to the premise of a reporter's question, and when confronted with a silly question, he calls them on it.
This situation is about to be handed off from the Dept. of Defense and the military to the politicians.
Barring any sudden catastrophe, it has been a brilliantly executed military plan, if you were Rumsfeld (yeah, I KNOW) you would be gloating too.
I guess that's why he isn't in the State Department.