Donald Rumsfeld Force Quotations

differences as to who should be in command of what, differences as to where forces should be reinforced or not reinforced, differences as to where supplies should go.

Different restrictions on national forces makes it enormously difficult for commanders to have the flexibility to function,

We would intend to have forces in place to see that advantage was not taken of any temporary disorder that could conceivably occur in the conflict,

For one thing, I would like to see a number of our forces move away from the Seoul area and from near the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone), and be more oriented towards an air hub and a sea hub

They had forces in flow that would have been able to increase a substantial number above the ultimate 150,000 that went into Iraq.

increase the number of special operations forces available for missions worldwide, while expanding their capabilities in some key areas.

We're not going to rule out anything, but we don't have any plans at the present time to use U.S. forces in that way,

We're not going to re-implement a draft. There is no need for it at all, ... The disadvantages of using compulsion to bring into the armed forces the men and women needed are notable.

Our hope is that as we build up Iraqi forces we will be able to relieve the stress on our forces and see a reduction in coalition forces over some period of time, probably post-Iraqi election.

We've always known that there are people who've tried to infiltrate the various security forces and get to close access to places they ought not to be. There's nothing new about that that I know of.

an obligation to assist in providing security, and the coalition forces are doing that. They're patrolling in various cities. Where they see looting, they're stopping it.

Even with the large and growing number of forces on the Iraqi border, Gen. Franks achieved something seemingly impossible: a tactical surprise,

The important fact is ... that every day, every week, every month the Iraqi security forces are larger, they're better equipped, they're better trained and they're more experienced. And that is the central fact,

China of course is expanding its missile forces and enabling those forces to reach many areas of the world well beyond the Pacific region,

problem that's faced by police forces in every major city in our country - that criminals infiltrate and sign up to join the police force.

The more troops you have, the more targets you have, and the more people you might get killed. The more troops you have, the more of an occupying power you are, the heavier footprint, the more force protection you need, the more logistics you need and the more intrusive you are on the people of that country.

As conditions on the ground there permit and require, obviously the commanders on the ground will recommend that coalition forces and US forces pare down as responsibility is transferred to Iraqis,

The US decided to reduce its forces from three brigades to two brigades.

the sooner it is done, the fewer Iraqis that will be killed, the fewer Americans or coalition forces that will be killed.

It is true we don't have any ground forces such as (the amount in) World War II or the Gulf War, but nor have we ruled that out,

This decision is not about any one weapon system, but merely about a strategy of warfare, a strategy that drives the choices that we must make about how best to prepare our total forces for the future,

Our goal is to get large numbers of international forces from lots of countries, including those two,

So I think we'll see the coalition forces being able to pare down,

We are identifying and preparing to deploy forces to replace those individuals, ... Recently I approved deployment of approximately 10,000 replacement personnel. Other units are now being identified and will be approved in the coming days.

I share your hopes and expectations for the Department of Defense and for the armed forces of the United States of America, ... I am an enthusiastic supporter of those goals.

It has to have forces which are not paper forces,

The Coalition of Iraqi forces have completed the move for all practical purposes from the north to the south. They are operating in one way or another in much, if not all, parts of the city at the present time.

Every day, the number of Iraqi security forces are getting bigger, and they're getting better, and they're getting more experienced,

We're committed to staying -- as long as necessary with as many forces as necessary to successfully complete the mission,

What will follow will not be a repeat of any other conflict. It will be of a force and scope and scale that has been beyond what has been seen before.

Today, history is being written by the valiant men and women of America's armed forces and by determined citizens who will do all they can to win this test of wills ? for that is what it is ? to keep our children from experiencing the heartbreak and terror of Sept. 11,