SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DONALD RUMSFELD AND
GENERAL RICHARD MYERS WEDNESDAY JANUARY 30, 2002 BRIEFING WAR IN AFGANASTAN

RUMSFELD SPEAKS IN LENGTH ON NEW BUDGET WHICH IS
DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN WAR ON TERROR "CAN'T WAIT TO
TRANSFORM OUR MILITARY TO THE THREATS OF THE 21ST
CENTURY".

NEWSMAN ASKS MYERS IF ATTACK ON TALIBAN TURNED OUT TO
BE ATTACK ON ANTI-TALIBAN FORCES. MYERS SAYS IT IS
"UNDER INVESTIGATION".

RUMSFELD COMPARES THE "PUEBLO" INCIDENT IN NORTH
KOREA WHERE U.S. NAVY MEN OF SS "PUEBLO" WERE
CAPTURED AND CALLED DETAINEES BY NORTH KOREAN TO OUR
DETAINING OF TALIBAN. RUMSFELD SAYS SAILORS OF
PUEBLO, IN FULL UNIFORM, ARE CONSIDERED TO BE
ELIGIBLE AS LAWFUL COMBATANTS UNDER GENEVA CONVENTION
RULES.

RUMSFELD SAYS THAT REPORT THAT SECRETARY POWELL
BELIEVES THEY (DETAINEES) SHOULD BE TREATED AS
PRISONERS OF WAR IS FLAT UN-TRUE, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN
AND WILL BE TREATED IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH THE
GENEVA CONVENTION.

NEWSMAN JAMIE MCINTYRE ASKS IF THERE IS SOME KIND OF
PLANNING FOR OPERATIONS IN IRAQ?

RUMSFELD SAYS THEY DO SEE SIGNS THAT IRAN IS
INTERESTED IN WESTERN PORTION OF AFGHANISTAN SPEAKS
IN LENGTH ON SUBJECT.

ORIENTAL FEMALE REPORTER ASKS IF U.S. SHOULD MAKE
PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE AGAINST NORTH KOREA, IN LIGHT OF
THEIR NUCLEAR, BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS?

NEWSMAN ASKS IF THE COMMENT BY BUSH ABOUT AXIS OF
EVIL WAS A PRETEXT FOR A SHOOTING WAR IN IRAQ? HE
ALSO ASKS IF THERE IS ANY EVIDENCE THAT THESE
COUNTRIES POSE ANY GREATER THREAT THEY DID ON
SEPTEMBER 10TH?

RUMSFELD SAYS, "THEY ARE COUNTRIES WHO HAVE BEEN
ACTIVE IN WORKING ON WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION".

RUMSFELD TELLS OF TERRORISTS CAMPS IN OTHER COUNTRIES
BESIDES AFGHANISTAN WHICH INCLUDE, SYRIA, LIBYA,
SOMALIA, LEBANON, SUDAN, SOME IN ASIA. "THERE ARE A
GREAT MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN TRAINED".