Speaking in 2002 about whether Iraq would give weapons of mass destruction to terrorists, he said: "Reports that say that something hasn’t happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns. Rumsfeld was known for his rollicking news conferences in which he sparred with reporters and offered memorable quotes. But as he wrote in "Rumsfeld’s Rules," his compilation of truisms dating to the 1970s: "If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much."Īnother quote from "Rumsfeld’s Rules" was equally apt: "It is easier to get into something than to get out of it." forces killed him in 2011.Ĭritics argue that had Rumsfeld devoted more troops to the Afghan effort, bin Laden may have been taken. special operations troops and CIA officers along with allied Afghan fighters in the Afghan mountains of Tora Bora in December 2001. The al Qaeda chief slipped past a modest force of U.S. forces during Rumsfeld’s tenure also were unable to track down Osama bin Laden. As he did in Iraq two years later, Rumsfeld sent a small force to Afghanistan, quickly chased the Taliban from power and then failed to establish law and order. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 to oust the Taliban leaders who had harbored the al Qaeda leaders responsible for the Sept. The second barred from Iraq’s government even junior members of the former ruling Baath Party, essentially emptying the various ministries of the people who made the government operate. One dissolved the Iraqi military, putting thousands of armed men on the streets rather than harnessing Iraqi soldiers as a reconstruction force as originally planned. Paul Bremer, quickly made two fateful decisions. Rumsfeld also was accused of being slow to recognize the emergence of the insurgency in 2003 and the threat it posed. The force was then insufficient to stabilize Iraq when Saddam fell. For example, Rumsfeld insisted on a relatively small invasion force, rejecting the views of many generals. Many historians and military experts blamed Rumsfeld for decisions that led to difficulties in Iraq. Robert Gates, a soft-spoken but demanding former CIA director, took over from Rumsfeld in December 2006 and made sweeping strategic and military leadership changes in Iraq. Rumsfeld became a lightning rod for criticism and, with the Iraq war largely a stalemate and public support eroding, Bush replaced him in November 2006 over Cheney’s objections.ĭays after vowing Rumsfeld would remain for the rest of his term, Bush announced his departure a day after mid-term elections in which Democrats took control of Congress from Bush’s Republicans amid voter anger over the Iraq War. He was a close ally of Bush’s vice president, Dick Cheney, who had worked for Rumsfeld during the 1970s Republican presidencies of Richard Nixon and Ford. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, drew international condemnation, with human rights activists and others saying prisoners were tortured. treatment of detainees in Iraq and foreign terrorism suspects at a special prison set up under Rumsfeld at the U.S. Rumsfeld personally authorized harsh interrogation techniques for detainees. One photo showed a prisoner forced to stand on a small box, his head covered in a black hood, with wires attached to his body. troops smiling, laughing and giving thumbs up as prisoners were forced into sexually abusive and humiliating positions including a naked human pyramid and simulated sex. The United States faced global condemnation after the photos showed U.S. The scandal triggered international condemnation of the United States. personnel abusing prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad. In 2004, Bush twice refused to accept Rumsfeld’s offer to resign after photos surfaced of U.S. Rumsfeld was known for imperious treatment of some military officers and members of Congress and infighting with other members of the Bush team, including Secretary of State Colin Powell. Only McNamara served as defence secretary for longer than Rumsfeld, who had two stints - from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, for whom he also served as White House chief of staff, and from 2001 to 2006 under Bush. He warned of the dangers of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction but no such weapons were ever discovered. Rumsfeld played a leading role ahead of the war in making the case to the world for the March 2003 invasion. troops remained in Iraq until 2011, long after he left his post. forces swiftly toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein but failed to maintain law and order in the aftermath, and Iraq descended into chaos with a bloody insurgency and violence between Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims. A statement from the family of Donald Rumsfeld: /AlKYxVvqgF- Donald Rumsfeld June 30, 2021
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