Bremer: Insurgency 'More Resilient' Than Expected

June 11, 2006 — -- Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, the former leader of the U.S.-led interim government in Iraq, called for a "military strategy to defeat the insurgency," admitting, "the insurgency has proven more resilient than we thought it would be."

In an exclusive appearance on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," Bremer, who led the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq for over a year, said the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of the insurgency in Iraq, and the formation of the country's government made for a "good week in Iraq."

"This will increase internal tensions within al Qaeda," he predicted. "The operational effectiveness [of the insurgency], at least in the short run, is affected."

The ambassador who ran Iraq when Saddam Hussein was captured repeatedly insisted, "We need to design an effective miltary strategy to defeat the insurgency."

Bremer did not reject outright talks with the insurgency, if they are possible. But he described "a small, hardcore" number of terrorists who will continue to fight the burgeoning government and U.S. forces in the country.

"They're going to have to be dealt with," Bremer said.

He recalled that discussions with members of the insurgency were often fruitless given the lack of a formal power structure.