Rummy's take on *'s "All options are on the table." remark on Iran

[sabra]

http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/2005/tr20050816-secdef3682.html

Q: Mr. Secretary, this weekend President Bush, addressing the Israelis, was asked if indeed we would get involved militarily with Iran if they continued developing their nuclear arsenal, and he said all options are on the table. And they tried to corner him, saying, "You mean military action?" He goes, "All options are on the table." Are we capable right now as a fighting force of being in Afghanistan, in Iraq and in Iran, if necessary?



Sec. Rumsfeld: Let me answer that in a couple of ways.



First of all, every president has consistently preserved options by using that phraseology, that options -- all options -- are on the table. There's nothing new in President Bush saying that, and there's also nothing new in other presidents in previous times using that phraseology. It's kind of mindless to systematically take options off the table when there's no reason to take options off the table. I think of it as a fairly standard comment.



Second, with respect to the Department of Defense and our military capabilities, we have the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the chairman and the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on a periodic basis, every period of months, review our military capabilities, anticipate the kinds of things that conceivably could occur. And they consistently tell me that we, in this country's military department, have the ability to fulfill the likely missions that might occur. So I'm -- we're quite tight -- quite comfortable with that.



Q: Well, do you think that perhaps we may be beaten to the punch by Israel?



Sec. Rumsfeld: I wouldn't want to speculate about that. I think that that's not for me to comment on.



Q: And you certainly wouldn't want to have to comment on it after the fact! (Laughter.)



Sec. Rumsfeld: (Laughter.)

[underpants]

1. Odd, they took all their options off the table with N.Korea

They reverse 50 years of US policy (and the only thing that seemed to actually work) when they took military action off the table with a madman.

[ironman202]

4. ironic, considering N.K. Haircut Man is actually waving nukes at us...

[orpupilofnature57]

5. N.Korea don't play that shit, Shrub like most cowards,loathe confidence

Which besides plucking the feather of democracy, has systematically eroded this countries confidence in every way, economically, spiritually, socially.

[Qanisqineq]

2. "have the ability to fulfill the likely missions that might occur"

huh? Not unless you reinstate the DRAFT! You don't have the manpower. If you weren't desperate for troops you wouldn't be offering huge bonuses to join or to reenlist for just a couple years. You wouldn't be raising the enlistment age. Give me a break.

[cdb]

3. Every time Rumsfeld laughs 1,000 people die

He is such a fun lovin' guy....

[sabra]

6. and he continues to laugh :-(