US: Iraq no safer now

2005-06-15 07:51

London - Iraq is "statistically" no safer today than it was after Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was overthrown, United States defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Tuesday.

Asked on BBC television whether Iraq was safer since the US-led invasion ended with the ouster of Saddam in April 2003, Rumsfeld replied: "Well, statistically no. But clearly it has been getting better as we've gone along."

"In other words, at the end of the war the army fled, was captured... and the country was defeated," Rumsfeld told veteran interviewer David Frost on BBC2's Newsnight.

"The insurgency then built over a period of time, and it has had its ups and downs," the US defence secretary said.

Rumsfeld added: "A lot of bad things that could have happened have not happened."

Rumsfeld accused Iraq's neighbours Syria and Iran which had "relatively porous" borders through which people passed.

Asked which country was most unhelpful, he added: "With respect to the insurgency, I would say Syria."

"With respect to an effort to try to influence what's taking place, Iran is doing that."

A total of 1 698 US soldiers have died in Iraq since the invasion in March 2003, according to the latest Pentagon figures.

- AFP