SHANNON, Ireland, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld lashed out Monday at critics of the president's war on terrorism, saying they are complicating an already difficult task.
The New York Times reported Rumsfeld did not specifically identify anyone, but he said those critical of the administration's handling of the war in Iraq and its aftermath might be encouraging U.S. foes to believe the United States might one day walk away from the effort, as it has in past conflicts.
Said Rumsfeld: "We know for a fact that terrorists studied Somalia, and they studied instances that 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. The United States is not going to do that; President Bush is not going to do that."
Rumsfeld made his remarks in Shannon, Ireland, en route to Washington at the end of a six-day Middle East trip.
