US about the hunt for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction

US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Richard Myers were asked about the hunt for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The secretary repeated an earlier observation he had made that search teams are unlikely "to stumble over anything" in Iraq. Myers said debriefings are ongoing with Iraqis who have surrendered or were captured recently about their inside knowledge of Iraq's weapons programs.

Rumsfeld noted that there is a group of interagency representatives working together on this subject in Iraq -- from the FBI, CIA, and the Defense Intelligence Agency. He said they are "finding all kinds of information" by examining documents and conducting interrogations.

Myers said operations to discover WMD are under way in various ways and at various locations. Rumsfeld said it takes time to question individuals after they are arrested, to translate relevant documents, and to crosscheck information. The teams who are pursuing information about WMD "are proceeding in an orderly, disciplined way," he added.

Both officials were also questioned about the military's use of cluster bombs in Iraq. Myers said cluster munitions are designed to explode when they hit the ground after they are air dropped. Asked about reports of cluster bombs harming civilians in residential areas, Myers said: "We'll have to find out whose they are." He answered affirmatively when asked if he thought cluster munitions were less dangerous to civilians than anti-personnel landmines.