French Defence Minister meets Rumsfeld, comment on Iraq

(20 Oct 2006) SHOTLIST
1. Wide shot motorcade; zoom to car carrying French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie; zoom to medium shot Alliot-Marie stepping out of car and being greeted by US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
2. Rumsfeld and Alliot-Marie walking up steps into Pentagon
3. Rumsfeld and Alliot-Marie walking out of Pentagon
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Rumsfeld, US Defence Secretary:
"The generals on the ground - General Chiarelli and General Casey - are continuously adjusting their tactics and techniques and procedures. The enemy has a brain. The enemy watch what's happened and they make adjustments, as do our people. And I'm told that General Caldwell made a comment today about the situation in Baghdad and indicated that the level of violence has been up, and obviously when that's the case General Casey and General Chiarelli will be reviewing their circumstance and then discussing it with General Pace and the chiefs and eventually with me."
5. Photographers
6. Rumsfeld and Alliot-Marie walking away from reporters
7. Rumsfeld standing on pavement; pan to car; zoom to close-up Alliot-Marie waving through car window
STORYLINE
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Thursday acknowledged a comment from a senior US military spokesman that indicated an increase in the level of violence in Baghdad.
Earlier on Thursday, Major General William Caldwell, said attacks in Baghdad rose 22 percent in the first three weeks of Islam's holy month of Ramadan, when compared to the previous three weeks.
The month of fasting and prayers began in late September and is in its final days.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with French Defence Minister Mich�le Alliot-Marie at the Pentagon, Rumsfeld said that US commanders on the ground in Iraq were continuously adjusting their tactics, techniques and procedures, which could lead to adjustments in strategy.
But the defence secretary refused to comment on a remark by President George W Bush that the growing violence in Iraq might be compared to the Vietnam War at the time of the Tet offensive.
Rumsfeld was asked about Bush's comment following a meeting with Alliot-Marie.
Rumsfeld responded, "I have not seen that statement, and I'd prefer not to comment on something I have not seen." When pressed further, Rumsfeld said, "I'd want to see the statement."
In an interview with ABC News on Wednesday, Bush said a New York Times column by Thomas Friedman "could be" correct in drawing the analogy between the current situation in Iraq and the Tet offensive during the Vietnam War.
Tet, which began in early 1968 and is seen by many as a turning point in the Vietnam War, did serious damage to President Lyndon Johnson's public support. Two months after the offensive began, he announced he would not seek a full, second term in the White House.
On Wednesday, The White House tried to clarify Bush's remarks, saying: "The president was making a point that he's made before, which is that terrorists try to exploit pictures and try to use the media as conduits for influencing public opinion in the United States."
So far this month, 73 US troops have been killed, putting October on course to be the deadliest for American forces in Iraq since November 2004, when US forces were in the midst of a drive to oust insurgents from their stronghold of Fallujah in Anbar province.
After the Rumsfeld meeting, Alliot-Marie was heading to New York for a meeting with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and a speech to the French-American Foundation on "Challenges of the 21st Century - Clashes of Interests or Clashes of Civilisations."

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