WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Rumsfeld said yesterday he supports the nomination of a military general as the head of the CIA, and said the Pentagon is not trying to take more control of intelligence matters.

“There’s no power play taking place in Washington,” Mr. Rumsfeld told Pentagon reporters, calling talk of bureaucratic turf fights between civilian intelligence agencies, and military leaders “theoretical conspiracies” and “all off the mark.”

Asked how the pre-war intelligence failures with regard to Iraq affect his thinking about the reliability of intelligence on Iran’s nuclear program, Mr. Rumsfeld said he realizes that intelligence is sometimes flawed.

“It’s a tough business. It’s a difficult thing to be right all the time,” he said. “And the information was not correct” on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. “Does that give one pause? You bet,” particularly in light of the fact that Iran is a relatively closed society. “So clearly one has to be very careful.”

President Bush’s selection of Air Force General Michael Hayden to head the CIA has raised questions from congressional Republicans and Democrats over his ability to be independent from the military establishment, as well as his ties to a controversial wiretapping program.

Mr. Rumsfeld said there have been military leaders of the spy agency in the past and that would pose no conflict with the Pentagon.

General Hayden, who now is deputy director of national intelligence, formerly headed the National Security Agency and is a 37-year Air Force veteran.

Some members of Congress, voicing concern about having a military person in charge of the civilian CIA, have suggested that General Hayden resign his commission.

Mr. Rumsfeld offered strong praise for General Hayden.

“He’s an intelligence professional, is what he is,” he said. “He did not come up through the operational chain in the Department of Defense and then at the last minute slide over into the intelligence business. He’s a person who has had assignment after assignment after assignment in the intelligence business. And, clearly, that is what his career has been. And he’s been very good at it.”

Mr. Rumsfeld did acknowledge that he and General Hayden had taken different positions on at least one issue – whether to move the National Security Agency from the Defense Department’s control to National Intelligence Director John Negroponte’s control. General Hayden thought it should be moved, and Mr. Rumsfeld said he did not. Mr. Bush ultimately decided not to move it.

On another matter, Mr. Rumsfeld urged Congress to pass an emergency spending bill that contains $65 billion for war-related expenses for the Pentagon. He referred specifically to the House having cut from the spending measure about $760 million that the Pentagon says it needs for training Iraqi and Afghan security forces.

“A slowdown in training and equipping the Iraqi security forces will have unacceptable, harmful effects of postponing the day when our men and women in uniform can return home with the honor and appreciation they deserve,” he said.

Questioned about the reliability of intelligence. Mr. Rumsfeld responded by noting the failure on Iraq, whose alleged weapons of mass destruction were the chief public justification given by Mr. Bush for invading in March 2003 to overthrow the regime of Saddam Hussein.

“It turns out it was wrong, that intelligence. Fair enough,” he said. “It’s a tough business. It’s a difficult thing to be right all the time. And the information was not correct. Does that give one pause? You bet.”

When publicly discussing the reliability of American foreign intelligence, Mr. Rumsfeld often notes the risk of mistakes and gaps, particularly regarding information on countries like Iran and North Korea that the Bush administration considers rogue nations. But he had not previously indicated that the Iraq failures give him pause on Iran.

“You bet. And you’re dealing with a closed society there, so clearly one has to be very careful,” he said.

Iran says its nuclear program is meant exclusively for generating electricity, but America and some other Western countries believe it is a cover for developing nuclear weapons.

During a public appearance in Florida yesterday, Mr. Bush said America was in the early stage of diplomacy to solve the Iran nuclear issue.

“And we will continue to work through diplomatic channels to make it clear that we mean what we say. And, obviously, part of making the diplomacy work is what will be the consequences if the Iranians decide maybe not to listen to the rational demands of the world,” Mr. Bush said. He did not say what the consequences might be, but Mr. Bush has said many times that he could not rule out the use of military force against Iran.

At his Pentagon news conference, Mr. Rumsfeld also pressed Congress to pass an emergency spending measure that contains about $65 billion for Pentagon war costs in Iraq and Afghanistan. He referred specifically to the House having cut about $760 million that the Pentagon says it needs for training Iraqi and Afghan security forces.

“A slowdown in training and equipping the Iraqi security forces will have unacceptable, harmful effects of postponing the day when our men and women in uniform can return home with the honor and appreciation they deserve,” he said.