Rumsfeld Says Bush Opponents Aid Enemies

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Monday that opposition to President Bush was encouraging Washington’s enemies and hindering the U.S.-declared war on terrorism.

Rumsfeld was speaking after a trip to Afghanistan and Iraq, where he sought to highlight progress in reconstruction efforts and dampen criticism of the U.S. presence.

He said that if Washington’s enemies believed Bush might waver or his opponents prevail, that could increase support for their activities.

“They take heart in that, and that leads to more money going into these activities or that leads to more recruits or that leads to more encouragement or that leads to more staying power,” he told reporters traveling with him. “Obviously that does make our task more difficult.”

“Terrorists studied ... instances when the United States was dealt a blow and tucked in, and persuaded themselves that they could in fact cause us to acquiesce in whatever it is they wanted to do,” Rumsfeld said. Critics note that the United States has so far failed to produce any evidence of the production of chemical or biological weapons in Iraq, although that was cited as the main reason for the March invasion.