Rumsfeld Applauds Air Force Progress In Adapting To Fight Terrorists

Airmen worldwide have been filling nontraditional roles to contribute to the fight against a multifaceted, adaptive insurgency, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said. Addressing a meeting of the Air Force Sergeants Association, Secretary Rumsfeld highlighted the different jobs Airmen have been doing in the war on terrorism including manning gun trucks, escorting supply convoys and working on Army vehicles.On a recent trip to Balad Air Base, Iraq, Secretary Rumsfeld said he was impressed by the work of these Airmen, especially the Air Force doctors and nurses who treat coalition forces and Iraqi civilians. This change in the Air Force is part of the overall military strategy needed to combat the insurgency there, which is unconventional and does not face the same limits coalition forces do, he said. "We face enemies (who) have no territory to defend," he said. "They have no treaties to bind; they're unencumbered by laws, by bureaucracy, by regulations. They have a significant advantage -- they need to succeed only occasionally." To defend against this insurgency, the coalition must be on the offensive and be successful all the time, Secretary Rumsfeld said. "Our coalition must be on the attack, rooting out the terrorists wherever they are," he said. Besides fighting the terrorists directly, the coalition needs to help other countries develop tools to fight them as well, Secretary Rumsfeld said. These countries must be strengthened so they do not become havens for terrorists, he said. Iraqis continue to make significant progress toward democracy, Secretary Rumsfeld said, adding that the resolve of the Iraqi people and the dedication of coalition troops will ensure a victory. "Let me say that I have every confidence in the world that we will win this test of wills (in Iraq)," he said.