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CNN LIVE SATURDAY

Rumsfeld, NATO and Iraq: Munich Conference

Aired February 7, 2004 - 12:48   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Iraq is the lead topic at NATO's annual security conference. Secretary of Defense of Donald Rumsfeld is in Munich, Germany, to once again ask the alliance for help. And once again, he's finding reluctance.
CNN's Jamie McIntyre is covering the conference and joins us live -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld gave an impassioned defense of the U.S. intervention in Iraq today, even as he did nothing to acknowledge the fact that weapons of mass destruction have yet to be found.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE (voice-over): Addressing an audience in Munich that included some of America's most prominent European critics, Donald Rumsfeld was unapologetic for the U.S. failure to find any banned weapons in Iraq.

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: I know in my heart and my brain that America ain't what's wrong with the world.

MCINTYRE: The U.S. defense secretary barely mentioned WMD or the probe into U.S. intelligence failures, instead arguing vigorously that the Iraqi people and the world are far better off because the U.S. deposed Saddam Hussein. And he labeled "shocking" the portrayal of the United States as a villain in some international press.

RUMSFELD: Think of that. Equating the countries in the coalition with what was going on in that country. Publicly. Shocking. Absolutely shocking.

MCINTYRE: Earlier, Germany's foreign minister chided the U.S., insisting his country's pre-war skepticism about the validity of going to war had turned out to be justified. But nevertheless, he said Germany would not stand in the way if NATO eventually voted to assume a bigger role in Iraq.

JOSCHKA FISCHER, GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): The federal government will not stand in the way of a consensus, even if it will not deploy any German troops in Iraq.

MCINTYRE: Rumsfeld's mission is seen as many as a fence-mending effort. And while he's avoided any controversial remarks, such as when he called Germany and France "Old Europe" -- nevertheless, long- time observers say he's probably changed few minds.

RICHARD HOLBROOKE, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: The secretary of defense is a strong, tough person who isn't going to give an inch here in Munich. I understand fully why he did it. Therefore, it didn't change anyone's opinions, but it will be reported as a temperature lowering event because he didn't repeat the public's squabble he had with the German foreign minister here last year.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: Still, France -- still, NATO is an organization that runs on consensus, and France has said it will not support a NATO mission in Iraq unless and until there's a new government installed in Baghdad that has the full support of the United Nations -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Jamie, thank you, from Munich.

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