A New Kind Of War, Says Pentagon Chief

Donald Rumsfeld, who was on the job at the Pentagon during the Vietnam War - a war that was frequently described as a "different kind of war" - says this week's terrorist attacks represent a "new kind of war."

The Defense Secretary explained his thoughts in an interview Wednesday with CBS Evening News Anchor Dan Rather.

Here is a transcript of that interview:

Rather: THE DEFENSE SECRETARY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, DONALD RUMSFELD, MR. SECRETARY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT. YOU CALL THIS A NEW KIND OF WAR. WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

Rumsfeld: WELL, YOU KNOW, NORMALLY THERE IS A CAPITAL AND A DEFINED NATION AND A PEOPLE THAT ENGAGES IN A CONFLICT THAT WE CALL WAR. IN THIS INSTANCE IT IS QUITE DIFFERENT.

IT IS A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF WARFARE. IT IS INDEED AN ATTACK ON A WAY OF LIFE, BECAUSE THE PURPOSE OF TERRORISM IS TO TERRORIZE. AND TO TERRORIZE IS TO DENY PEOPLE THEIR FREEDOM, THEIR FREEDOM TO GO ABOUT THEIR DAILY LIVES AND TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES AND TO TRAVEL. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CANNOT STAND FOR, A FUNDAMENTAL ATTACK ON THE WAY OF LIFE IN OUR COUNTRY.

Rather: AND THE TASK OF DEFEATING THESE ENEMIES WILL FALL TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE U.S. ARMED FORCES. DO YOU MEAN THAT THE WAY IT SOUNDS, THAT WE ARE ON THE CUSP NOW OF LAUNCHING A MILITARY CAMPAIGN?

Rumsfeld: NO, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THIS. THAT THE EFFORT AGAINST TERRORISM IS GOING TO REQUIRE A BROADLY BASED AND SUSTAINED EFFORT OVER A GOOD PERIOD OF TIME. IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S EASILY DONE.

ANYONE LOOKING AT THE ATTACK TODAY CAN SEE THAT IT WAS WELL ORGANIZED, WELL FINANCED, AND VICIOUS. SO I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT IT WILL BE AN EFFORT THAT WILL BE OVER A SUSTAINED PERIOD OF TIME AND WILL BRING INTO PLAY THE FULL RANGE OF GOVERNMENT CAPABILITIES.

Rather: ANY DOUBT IN YOUR MIND THAT OSAMA BIN LADEN WAS BEHIND THIS?

Rumsfeld: MY INTEREST IS IN SEEING THAT TERRORISM IN ITS BROADEST SENSE IS DEALT WITH AND THAT WE ARE CAPABLE OF DEFENDING OURSELVES AGAINST THAT ATTACK ON OUR WAY OF LIFE. AND IT CERTAINLY IS A BROAD PROBLEM THAT GOES BEYOND ANY ONE COUNTRY OR ANY ONE NON-STATE ENTITY SUCH AS THAT.

Rather: THAT WOULD SUGGEST, AND I WOULD ASK IF YOU INTENDED TO SUGGEST, THAT SOME OF THIS ATTACK MAY BE TIED TO STATE-SPONSORED TERRORISM?

Rumsfeld: THERE'S NO QUESTION, BUT TERRORISM CAN BE TIED BOTH TO STATE TERRORISM AND TO NON-STATE ENTITIES. WE'VE EXPERIENCED THAT, WE'VE SEEN IT ACROSS THE GLOBE.

Rather: MR. SECRETARY, YOU SPOKE OF LEAKERS OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION. WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT?

Rumsfeld: WELL, DAN, IT WAS THIS. WITH THE END OF THE COLD WAR AND THE RELAXATION OF TENSION IN THE WORLD, THERE SEEMS AMONG THE PEOPLE WHO HANDLE CLASSIFIED INFORMATION TO HAVE A PARALLEL RELAXATION.

IT'S TERRIBLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THAT FOR A PEOPLE WHO ARE AUTHORIZED TO DEAL WITH CLASSIFIED INFORMATION ALL ACROSS THE RANGOF GOVERNMENT, THEY HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO SEE THAT THEY DO NOT PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT CLEARED FOR IT IN A WAY THAT WOULD PREVENT US FROM BEING ABLE TO TRACK DOWN AND DEAL WITH THE PEOPLE WHO PERPETRATED THESE CRIMES.

Rather: ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE IN CONGRESS WHO ARE BRIEFED FROM TIME TO TIME?

Rumsfeld: I'M TALKING ABOUT ANY HUMAN BEING WHO HAS ACCESS TO CLASSIFIED INFORMATION AND PROCEEDS TO VIOLATE FEDERAL CRIMINAL LAW AND PUT THE MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM AT RISK OF THEIR LIVES BECAUSE OF THEIR WILLFULNESS OR THEIR CARELESSNESS.

Rather: WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE DEATH TOLL AND THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WOUNDED FROM THE ATTACK ON THE PENTAGON?

Rumsfeld: WELL, THE PRESIDENT WAS HERE TODAY TO EXPRESS HIS APPRECIATION TO ALL THE FIREMEN OF THE, THE POLICEMEN AND THE F.B.I. AND TEAMS FROM ALL OVER VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND, AND FOR THE WONDERFUL WORK THEY'RE DOING JUST OUTSIDE THIS BUILDING.

THE CASUALTY COUNT IS CONTINUING...THE NUMBER, I AM REASONABLY CONFIDENT THIS STAGE WILL BE CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN HAS BEEN WIDELY REPORTED IN THE PRESS OF SOME 800 PEOPLE. EXACTLY WHAT NUMBER IT WILL BE REMAINS TO BE SEEN. AND I THINK IT'S NOT REALLY FAIR TO THE FAMILIES AND FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES OF THE VICTIMS TO BE SPECULATING ABOUT A NUMBER AT THIS STAGE.

Rather: SECRETARY RUMSFELD, WHEN WILL WE KNOW, WHEN WILL WE HAVE A FINAL TOLL?

Rumsfeld: JUST OUTSIDE THIS WALL, THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO CLEAR AWAY THE CENTER SECTION WHERE THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED AND THEN WENT THROUGH THREE OF THE SO-CALLED RINGS OF THE PENTAGON. FILLED WITH JET FUEL, SPEWING IT EVERYWHERE AND BURNING THE ENTIRE SECTION TO THE POINT THAT IT COLLAPSED. THEY NEED TO REMOVE ALL THAT.

HOW LONG THAT WILL TAKE I DON'T KNOW. IT'S A DANGEROUS EFFORT, THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF REMOVING BODIES AS THEY FIND THEM. AND IT IS VERY SAD AND DIFFICULT WORK AND DANGEROUS.

Rather: MR. SECRETARY, WHAT IMPACT WILL THESE TERRORIST ATTACKS HAVE ON FINANCE?

Rumsfeld: I REALLY HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THAT. THERE IS NO QUESTION BUT THAT A SUSTAINED EFFORT AGAINST TERRORISM IS SOMETHING THAT IS NOT DONE CHEAPLY. AND FUNDS WILL BE REQUIRED.

Rather: MR. SECRETARY, YOU WERE A FIGHTER PILOT IN THE U.S. NAVY, FLEW OFF CARRIER DECKS, YOU WERE A DEFENSE SECRETARY ONCE BEFORE. DID YOU EVER THINK THAT YOU WOULD LIVE TO SEE THE DAY THAT SOMEONE COULD KNOCK THIS KIND OF HOLE IN THIS MANY PEOPLE AT THE HEART OF OUR DEFENSE DEPARTMENT?

Rumsfeld: NO INDEED. THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE, THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WOULD THROW THINGS AT THE BUILDING DURING THE VIETNAM WAR, AND TRY TO DESTROY COMPUTERS AND THAT TYPE OF THING. BUT IT IS UNIMAGINABLE THAT TO BE SITTING IN YOUR OFFICE AND FEEL THE ENTIRE BUILDING SHAKE AND THEN WALK OUT THERE THREE MINUTES AFTER THE IMPACT AND SEE THE DEVASTATION AND THE PARTS OF AIRPLANES SPREAD FOR HUNDREDS OF FEET ALL ACROSS THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING, IS AAPPALLING SITUATION.

Rather: YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU'D LIVE TO SEE THE DAY?

Rumsfeld: NO INDEED.

Rather: DEFENSE SECRETARY DONALD RUMSFELD, THANK YOU.

Rumsfeld: THANK YOU.

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