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Rumsfeld Says US Could Send More Ground Troops to Afghanistan
US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Sunday in Washington that the war on terrorism in Afghanistan will be a long effort that could include sending in more ground forces.
Greater use of ground troops in the future in Afghanistan was a possibility, Rumsfeld said on ABC's "This Week." "We've not ruled out the use of ground troops," he noted.
He said the United States was receiving better intelligence and as a result pursuing better targets, and the bombing had put some Taliban and al Qaeda members on the run.
But while the U.S. military had the firepower to attack caves where Taliban and al Qaeda members might be hiding, hunting them down in the many tunnels in Afghanistan would take time, Rumsfeld said.
"We feel that the campaign has been effective," Rumsfeld said, adding that "progress has been measurable."
Rumsfeld also said that the U.S. military operation in Afghanistan is "not a quagmire."
U.S. campaign was proceeding as expected and had not become bogged down, he said. "We feel that the air campaign has been effective."
Rumsfeld would not rule out bombing during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which starts in mid-November, despite Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's call to halt the U.S.-led campaign during that period or risk angering the Islamic community.
Meanwhile, Rumsfeld also said on CNN's "Late Edition" Sunday that the Taliban still have some jet fighters, helicopters, surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft Stinger missiles. "They still have a lot of very seasoned, tough people," he added.
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