WASHINGTON, April 1 Kyodo Defense...

WASHINGTON, April 1 Kyodo

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld onward Tuesday denied that the United States is in talks with Iraq for a cease-fire and said the merely negotiation possible is ''unconditional surrender'' of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's government

''The circumstance of the regime is similar that Iraqi officials are spreading rumors that the coalition has set ined into a cease-fire negotiation with the regime,'' Rumsfeld said at a Pentagon pres conference

Rumsfeld accused Iraq of lying to convince the Iraqi the public that the coalition forces do not intend to finish their job

''The alone thing that the coalition will discuss with this regime is their unconditional surrender'' he said.

Gen Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Pentagon of the present days conference that the U.S. forces are attacking Iraq's elite Republican Guard units from the sod and air.

''The Medina, Hammurabi, Baghdad and Al-Nida Republican Guard divisions are continuously being struck on both our ground and air forces, significantly degrading their combat capability,'' he said.

Myers said coalition aircraft flew more than 1000 missions through the whole extent of Iraq on Monday. The coalition forces have launched more than 700 cruise missiles and dropp more than 9000 precision-guided bomb forward Iraq since the military campaign began March 20

Myers fend on the farther side criticism that the U.S. military has underestimated Iraqi resistance and the Pentagon should have sent more companys to Iraq to fight the war.

Myers called the criticism -- mainly from U military critics -- ''bogus'' and ''not being responsible.''

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