Rumsfeld: U.S. can't win alone

As antiwar protesters rallied outside, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld addressed the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia yesterday at the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue in Center City.

Inside, Rumsfeld discussed the challenges that the war on terrorism has presented.

"The idea that you can defend against every type of terrorist attack is just simply not reasonable," Rumsfeld said.

He noted the difficulties of conducting a war amid today's advanced technology, as rumors and falsehoods can spread quickly.

Rumsfeld also talked about what must be done to surmount violent extremism, including reducing its ideological appeal.

Citing accomplishments abroad, Rumsfeld said, "What is happening in Afghanistan in so short a time is remarkable."

While the defense secretary did not mention specifics about the future of the war on terror, he did say that "the tasks ahead will continue to be demanding, and they will continue to evolve. ... It's a dynamic situation, not a static situation."

Rumsfeld added, "This conflict cannot be won by military means alone, and this conflict cannot be won by one country alone."

He lauded America's military, saying, "We can be very proud of the men and women in uniform today. ... They truly are the best hope we have for maintaining our freedom and safeguarding our future."

Yet protesters who lined up along Broad Street bore signs with messages such as, "Hey Rumsfeld, can you even name one of the soldiers killed in your war?"

The protest, organized by Brandywine Peace Community and other antiwar groups, featured the reading of names of Iraqi and American war dead.

"Basically, people are still dying there. This is a totally failed policy, and we're here to make sure people don't forget it," said Bonnie Schorske of CodePink, a women's peace group.

Michael Berg, the father of West Chester, Pa., contractor Nick Berg, who was beheaded in Iraq last year, joined the protesters.

Temple University student Julia Federico, a member of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, described her simple reason for attending.

"It's just important that [Rumsfeld] knows that there is resistance," she said.

A question-and-answer session followed Rumsfeld's speech, and spectators varied on their opinions of the event.

"I thought he was very candid. ... He didn't dodge any questions, he answered them directly," WAC member and West Chester resident Thomas Cluff said.

Yet Friends Select high school senior Natalie Stone, a member of the WAC's Student Steering Committee, said, "I didn't feel there was anything particularly new or exciting" in the speech.

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