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Bumpy road ahead for Iraqis, says Rumsfeld

By P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE, JUNE 5. The U.S. Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, today told Ministers and officials from Asian countries, at a regional security conference in Singapore, that "there is no alternative'' to the moves of "transferring power to the Iraqi people.''

"There is no way the (U.S.-led) coalition forces can be defeated on the battle-field'' by the terrorists and Iraqis who might be opposed to the American presence, Mr. Rumsfeld said. He did not explain why a strategic decision was being made to transfer power. He was speaking at the plenary session of an ongoing Asia Security Conference, being organised here by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. Mr. Rumsfeld said a "bumpy road'' was now on the cards for the Iraqis. He ruled out a `premature' delegation of authority over security matters to the Iraqis.

On strategic issues of concern to the Asia-Pacific countries, Mr. Rumsfeld said that it was entirely a matter of China's `choice' which, in his view, was being made, to develop "a blue-water navy.''

Asked how the U.S. would meet this challenge, he said: "I do not know, particularly, if there is any immediate need for the U.S. to engage in a discussion with the People's Republic of China on that subject.''

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