Dateline: 10/18/02

As the United States appears headed for a war against Iraq, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld reveals the conditions under which he recommends the deployment of U.S. military forces to President Bush.

According to a document released to the press on Oct. 17, 2001 by the Department of Defense, Rumsfeld considers the following criteria for any crisis situation before recommending the use of military force:

• Is proposed action truly necessary? 

"Certainly, if lives are going to be put at risk, whether they're U.S. lives or the lives of other foreign nationals, there must be a darn good reason," Rumsfeld commented at a press conference. Rumsfeld also recommended that all non-military sources of national influence, including diplomacy, be implemented before, during and after potential use of military force.

• Is the proposed action achievable? 

"It has to be something that the United States is truly capable of doing," said Rumsfeld. "We need to understand that we have limitations. There are some things that this country and other countries simply can't do. Officials must decide at the outset what constitutes success, so they know when they have succeeded," he said.

• Is it worth it? 

"If the engagement is worth doing, then we need to recognize that, ultimately, lives could be put at risk," Rumsfeld explained. "Leaders need to be willing to invest the political capital necessary to marshal support necessary to sustain the effort for whatever period of time conceivably could be required."

• If there is to be action, act early and don't restrict options. 

"It's important to make a judgment as to when diplomacy has failed and act forcefully during the pre-crisis period to try to alter behavior and prevent a conflict," Rumsfeld said. The secretary also cautioned against the practice of "dumbing down" a military operation by understating its total scope. As examples, Rumsfeld cited cases in which presidential administrations had stated that U.S. ground troops would not be sent into conflicts, when they ultimately were.

"Those promises, those declarations, it seems to me, have the net effect of simplifying the task for an enemy, and it makes the task for the coalition much more difficult," Rumsfeld said.

Brutal Honesty
Rumsfeld also stated his belief the American leaders must practice "brutally honest" when considering risking the lives of military forces and in presenting the need for that risk to the American people.

"Preserving U.S. credibility requires that we promise less or at least no more than we believe we can deliver," he said. "And remember that it's a great deal easier to get into something than it is to get out of it."

Guidelines, Not Rules
Finally, the secretary stressed that any criteria used in determining the need for military force should be considered guidelines, rather than strict rules, which could inhibit the use of adequate levels of force.

"There may be times when national security requires that the U.S. act without clear answers to some of these questions," he said. "These questions that I've posed to myself I think of as guidelines, not a perfect checklist and certainly not hard and fast rules."