BAGHDAD, 1 May 2003 — Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld rallied US forces occupying Baghdad yesterday, vowing they would stay no longer than necessary, as troops opened fire on an anti-US protest, killing three people. Rumsfeld, mastermind of the war to oust Saddam Hussein, is the most senior official to visit the Iraqi capital since US tanks rolled in three weeks ago.
With the war launched on March 20 still not officially over, the White House said that President George W. Bush would declare “the major combat operations” complete, in an address aboard a seaborne US aircraft carrier today.
Speaking at a palace once belonging to Saddam, Rumsfeld said: “Let me be clear, Iraq belongs to you. The coalition has no intention of owning or running Iraq... Our goal is to restore stability,” as US helicopters hovered overhead.
“You came not to conquer, not to occupy, but to liberate, and the Iraqi people know this,” he said in the rousing speech to US troops in the city. You rescued a nation, liberated a people. You have deposed a cruel dictator and you ended his threat to free nations,” he said, greeted by cheers.
While awaiting “a free Iraqi government, based on political freedom, individual liberty and the rule of law”, Rumsfeld said there was “still work to be done,” including hunting down members of Saddam’s toppled regime.
But Rumsfeld’s triumphant tone was overshadowed by the second fatal US shooting in the city of Fallujah, west of Baghdad, in just three days. Witnesses said that thousands of people had answered a call by local Muslim religious leaders to demonstrate against a shooting that left 13 dead on Monday at a pro-Saddam rally, in what US officials said was an act of self-defense.
Locals denied there had been any provocation for the shooting.
Doctors and eyewitnesses said that three people were killed and two were left critical yesterday when US troops opened fire on the angry crowd.
