Since the Pentagon has dealt with humanitarian aid issues in other countries, can Secretary Rumsfeld answer that?
RUMSFELD: The United States is engaged in providing humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, has been for some time, and is doing it through a variety of different sources, including USAID, as well as various UN agencies and some direct US military food drops which now number over one million rations since, I think, October 7. Q: My question is for Mr. Rumsfeld. Will you tell us please if you met with [Uzbek] President Karimov and can you comment on your conversation with him? RUMSFELD: The question was my meeting with the President. This was my second meeting with the President. It was as interesting and informative as the first. We had a very broad ranging discussion about the situation in Afghanistan and the problem of terrorism generally. We discussed in some detail the circumstances on the ground in Afghanistan and the various elements that are opposing the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. I found it helpful to me and informative. Q: We journalists who are here have the impression that you ca
