Rumsfeld Decries Amnesty Rights Report

Those being detained at Guantanamo are "suspected terrorists," many of whom "have been systematically trained to lie and to claim torture," Rumsfeld said. He said at least a dozen of the 200 released from Guantanamo so far have been "caught back on the battlefield involved in efforts to kidnap and kill Americans."

He lamented a "lack of media attention" to U.S. military practices of humane treatment of detainees and respect for their religious beliefs. And he charged that equating "the military's record on detainee treatment to some of the worst atrocities of the past century is a disservice to those who have sacrificed so much to bring freedom to others."

Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the same briefing that Zarqawi, the most-wanted insurgent leader in Iraq, "has been wounded," but that the severity of the injury and his whereabouts remain unknown.

Unprompted, Rumsfeld added, "The current assumption is that he's in Iraq. Were a neighboring country to take him in and provide medical assistance or haven for him, they, obviously, would be associating themselves with a major linkage in the al Qaeda network and a person who has a great deal of blood on his hands."

Asked if there would be "consequences" for such action, Rumsfeld said any country that helped Zarqawi "is obviously associating themselves with al Qaeda" and contributing to the deaths of Iraqis and coalition forces. "And that's something that people would want to take note of," he said.

As for "Deep Throat," Rumsfeld was asked his reaction to the disclosure that the source was the number-two man in the FBI, given that Rumsfeld has complained about the use of anonymous sources and was part of the Nixon administration.

"I think that anytime wrongdoing occurs, it's important that that wrongdoing be reported," the defense secretary said. "Now, who one reports that to -- the authorities -- is one thing or somebody else is another. But I'm not knowledgeable enough to be in a position to judge it."

Pressed to say whether he believes Felt was "a hero or a criminal," Rumsfeld said, "Well, I'm not in any judgmental mood."

He added later, "I still don't want to be judgmental, but I also wouldn't want to send the wrong signal to people in the Department of Defense. Anyone who sees wrongdoing who works for the United States government has an obligation to report that wrongdoing to the Department of Justice or to the proper authorities in the department. . . . I wouldn't want to leave any ambiguity about that."