Donald Rumsfeld, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, states that terrorists will eventually gain access to biological and chemical weapons. Speaking today at a Senate committee, Mr. Rumsfeld refrained from discussing specific terrorist attacks but mentioned that Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and North Korea are engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction. He predicted that these countries would provide their weapons to terrorist groups with which they are associated. Ari Fleischer, the White House spokesman, stated that Mr. Rumsfeld is aware of what President Bush knows, which is that the United States is working to eliminate the enemy's ability to access these weapons. Prior to Mr. Rumsfeld's remarks, Robert Mueller, the head of the FBI, and Dick Cheney, the Vice President of the United States, had issued similar warnings.
Rumsfeld Warns of Terrorists' Access to Biological Weapons - 2002-05-21
Donald Rumsfeld warns that terrorists will eventually acquire biological and chemical weapons, linking this threat to countries like Iran and Iraq that are developing weapons of mass destruction. This statement reflects ongoing U.S. concerns about terrorism and proliferation of dangerous weapons.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Donald Rumsfeld warned that terrorists are likely to gain access to biological and chemical weapons, linking this threat to countries like Iran that are developing such weapons. He emphasized the potential for these nations to provide weapons to terrorist groups.
- Rumsfeld identified Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and North Korea as key players in developing weapons of mass destruction.
- The U.S. government is actively working to prevent terrorists from accessing these dangerous weapons.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
In the early 2000s, the U.S. was increasingly focused on the threat of terrorism and the potential for rogue states to supply weapons to terrorist groups, particularly after the 9/11 attacks.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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Translation confidence: 85%