Washington ? The United States is “prepared and concerned” about possible Iraq-sponsored terrorist attacks if President Bush orders a war to disarm Saddam Hussein, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Thursday.

Rumsfeld also said the Iraqi leader could launch chemical or biological attacks on U.S. troops.

“There is a danger that Saddam Hussein would do things he’s done previously. He has in the past used chemical weapons,” Rumsfeld said on a call-in show on Infinity Broadcasting and National Public Radio stations.

“I have do doubt that if he’s able, he would like to see that terrorist attacks occur in the event that military action was taken.”

If the United States uses military force to oust Saddam, Rumsfeld said, there would be a military command in Iraq while authorities tried to track down all of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction.

Iraq probably would not be able to fight for very long after a U.S.-led invasion, Rumsfeld said.

“I can’t say if the use of force would last five days or five weeks or five months, but it certainly isn’t going to last any longer than that,” Rumsfeld said. “It won’t be a World War III.”