BAGHDAD, 5 September 2003 — US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived here unannounced yesterday to lay plans with his commanders for an intensified effort to field Iraqi army and security forces and add international troops to the embattled US-led occupation.
“The important thing is to move to a big Iraqi force,” Rumsfeld told reporters en route to Baghdad, his second trip and one that comes amid growing US alarm over bombings, attacks and a mounting coalition death toll. Rumsfeld said he met with intelligence officials earlier on the surge of attacks, but that they are not sure of the motives of the attackers or their numbers. “They have imperfect visibility into it,” he said. “They are uncomfortable at the moment with what we don’t know.” The Central Intelligence Agency and the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) were working on how to create an Iraqi intelligence capability, he said. “The question is how do you do it, who do you use, with what kind of process,” he said.
A decision has been made to recruit former Iraqi soldiers from the rank of lieutenant colonel and below for the new army, the core of an accelerated effort to shift the burden for security from the US-led force, Rumsfeld and other officials said. The goal ultimately is to create a 40,000-member army from the remnants of the Iraqi military, a senior administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Within a year we want to have 12,000” in the army, the official said. As many as 60,000 Iraqis already have been recruited into the security forces, mainly the police but also new civil defense militias, a force to protect infrastructure, border guards and the army, he said. Rumsfeld was scheduled to meet here with Paul Bremer, the US overseer, and Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the commander of the estimated 130,000-140,000 US troops in Iraq.
The trip came as the United States said it would seek a UN mandate for a US-led multinational force in Iraq in an attempt to encourage more countries to provide troops and assistance. Earlier, Rumsfeld acknowledged the need for more forces to stabilize Iraq, but insisted Iraqis and international forces should be used to beef up security, not more American troops. “Should the total number go up for security? Yes, I think so.” Rumsfeld told reporters traveling with him. “But I think its going to be on the Iraqi side, and on the international side more than the US side. We already have a very large number there,” he said.
Asked how many international troops were needed, he said, “I don’t know, maybe another division.”An administration official, however, said the goal was three more international divisions. US officials are hoping Turkey, India and Pakistan will each lead a division. “They ultimately are going to have to provide the security for that country rather than flooding it with American forces,” he said.
Rumsfeld rebuffed questions about how much control the United States was prepared to cede over the military operations, saying that discussions at the United Nations were only beginning.
In London, British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon ordered a review of British troop levels in Iraq in response to persisting attacks on US and British occupation forces, the Ministry of Defence said. Britain now has 10,500 troops in Iraq, mainly in the south of the country.
Arms Caches Seized: US troops backed by nearly 100 helicopters on an operation across the deserts of Iraq have uncovered large weapon caches that included 12 surface-to-air missiles, a US military spokeswoman said yesterday. Sergeant Amy Abbott said the four caches were found by the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division and included 10,000 rounds along with small arms, 100 rocket-propelled grenade launchers and three mortar systems. She said 1,000 troops and 98 helicopters were used in the operation launched on Aug. 30 in an area stretching from northeast to western Iraq, and several people were detained. “They (US forces) planned to disrupt terrorists in anti-terrorist operations,” she said.
In a separate announcement, Lt. Col. Bill MacDonald said the 4th Infantry Division had carried out 231 patrols, five raids and a further 43 joint patrols with Iraqi forces over the last 24 hours. He said 26 people were detained.
