SHANNON, Ireland — Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Monday that opposition to President Bush was encouraging Washington's enemies and hindering the U.S.-declared war on terrorism.
Rumsfeld was speaking after a trip to Afghanistan and Iraq, where he sought to highlight progress in reconstruction efforts and dampen criticism of the U.S. presence.
He said that if Washington's enemies believed Bush might waver or his opponents prevail, that could increase support for their activities.
"They take heart in that, and that leads to more money going into these activities or that leads to more recruits or that leads to more encouragement or that leads to more staying power," he told reporters traveling with him. "Obviously that does make our task more difficult."
"Terrorists studied
