While the United states Armed Forces (private mercenaries) are in Afghanistan, Djibouti, Iraq, the Philippines and west Africa defending “all freedom-loving people everywhere in the world,” Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, on the Columbia Broadcasting System current events interview program says, “You and a few other critics are the only people I’ve heard use the phrase immediate threat.  I didn’t, the president didn’t.  And it’s become kind of folklore that that’s what’s happened” (emphasis added).

       [added 12/17/2023] Thanks to Freedom’s Phoenix for this entry.