Fleischer was asked about a
Congressional Budget Office ( news
- web
sites) estimate that fighting a full-scale war with Iraq would cost
the United States as much as $9 billion a month.
"The president has not made any decisions about military action and
what military option he might pursue," Fleischer said. "And so, I think
it's impossible to speculate."
He also seemed to suggest that Saddam could go into exile, another
cheaper option than military action.
"I can only say that the cost of a one-way ticket is substantially less
than that," Fleischer said. "The cost of one bullet, if the Iraqi people
take it on themselves, is substantially less than that."
Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld has suggested at least three
times in the last 1 1/2 weeks that Saddam might be allowed to go into
exile with his family.
Pentagon ( news
- web
sites) officials said it sounded as if Rumsfeld might have been trying
to send a signal to Saddam, or simply to allies who want the United States
to try harder at nonwar options. Two defense officials said Saddam's
profile suggests that he is not the type of ruler who would be likely to
surrender power and accept voluntary exile.
Rumsfeld also has suggested that Iraqis could help hasten the end of
Saddam's tenure. Asked last week how long a war in Iraq might take,
Rumsfeld said that depends on how long it takes the Iraqi people to
realize they have a chance to be liberated.
Fleischer's comments were the bluntest so far about options for
accomplishing the Bush administration policy of "regime change" in Iraq
without a war.
"There are many options that the president hopes the world and people
of Iraq will exercise themselves of, that get rid of the threat,"
Fleischer said. "The Iraqi people can help resolve this matter as well,
and the Iraqi military."
He said there are many options that "the United States is prepared to
see, and the president has said the military option is not his first
choice."
Asked if the administration hopes Saddam will end up dead, Fleischer
said:
"Regime change is the policy, in whatever form it takes."
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