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Donald Rumsfeld Biography - - - Outtakes
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Rumsfeld, Gonzales and others accused of war crimes
The Center for Constitutional Rights and Wolfgang Kaleck, a German attorney, filed a lawsuit in Germany against Donald H. Rumsfeld. The suit names 11 other current and former American officials, including Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, whom it alleges either ordered the torture of prisoners or drafted laws that legitimated its use.
The suit was filed in Germany because German law has the principle of universal jurisdiction, under which courts are entitled to prosecute people for war crimes, regardless of where they live or where the crimes were committed.
NYTimes; (11/14/06)
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Rumsfeld "resigned" after the votes were counted. At a news conference November 8th, Bush said he and Mr. Rumsfeld agreed that “the time is right for new leadership at the Pentagon.” Only a week earlier Bush said "Both (Cheney and Rumsfeld) are doing fantastic jobs and I strongly support them. ... I'm pleased with the progress we are making."
The proposed new leadership is Robert Gates, head of the CIA under Bush I, now president of Texas A&M University.
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Donald Rumsfeld's biography is replete with learning experiences from other administrations. He has, with breaks, been part of the government since the Eisenhower years. From Nixon's cabinet he watched Vietnam; he was Secretary of Defense for Ford; he was Reagan's Envoy to the Middle East during the Iran-Iraq War; he was a fringe member of the State Department during the first Bush Administration. He doesn't appear have remembered what all can go wrong.
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The Nixon Years
Rumsfeld served in Nixon's cabinet off an on for about four years. While director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, Rumsfeld hired Cheney. Rumsfeld was safely out of town in his assignment as ambassador to NATO when Nixon resigned. He must have known all about quagmires, but he appears to have forgotten.
The Ford Years
Rumsfeld returned to Washington with the Ford administration. He was chief of staff when the helicopters were leaving Saigon and he again hired Cheney. After the helicopters, he became Secretary of Defense (1975-77), in time to try to redesign a demoralized, demolished army with volunteers.
Foreshadowing the great smallpox vaccine uproar of 2002 was the '75, 'swine flu' vaccine debacle. Swine flu killed a recruit at a New Jersey army base. Fearing a repeat of the flu devastation of WWI, Rumsfeld encouraged the rushed development of a vaccine. The vaccine program was a disaster -- contaminated vaccine killed some, sickened many and the flu never materialized.
Rumsfeld left office at the end of 1977 and joined the private sector -- with a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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The George H. W. Bush Years
Rumsfeld was chairman, CEO, or a board member of companies, non-profits and charities. He was Foreign Policy Consultant to the State Department, 1990-93.
During these years the United Nations published and the White House has posted, detailed accounts of Saddam's repression of the Iraqi people.
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The Clinton Years
In 1996, running Bob Dole's presidential campaign, Rumsfeld met Paul Wolfowitz and other Neocons. He was a founder and active member of the Project for the New American Century. He co-signed a 29 January 1998 PNAC letter sent to President Bill Clinton.
During this period Rumsfeld discovered and adapted the theory of Shock and Awe which he tested in Iraq with "catastrophic success."
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The Reagan Years
Through the 80s, Rumsfeld yoyoed through Washington on assignments for the Reagan administration. In 1983-84, he was Special Presidential Envoy to the Middle East. Protecting oil sources was the top of the list of things to be accomplished.
 Rumsfeld and Saddam December 20, 1983
In March 1984, Rumsfeld and Iraqi foreign minister spoke of "topics of mutual interest" such as pipeline locations. They did not discuss the poison gas being used by Iraq in Iran although Rumsfeld said "I made it clear that our efforts to assist were inhibited by certain things that made it difficult for us citing the use of chemical weapons." more.
The pipeline from Iraq to the Jordanian port of Aqaba, was an interest of the Bechtel Corporation. Rumsfeld also cautioned the Iraqis not to escalate the war in the Gulf through air strikes against Iranian oil facilities and tankers. He did not mention "certain things" or warn about not gassing the Kurds.
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The George W. Bush Years
Rumsfeld became Secretary of Defense again in 2001. He again started planning for a new army -- leaner, faster, capable of Shock and Awe.
Concentrating on the Neocon view (Iraq as a danger to Israel) they missed bin Laden's plans until the plane hit the Pentagon. Even that day, with evidence implicating bin Laden, Rumsfeld planned to "get" Iraq. He told his staff: "Go massive. Sweep it all up. Related and Not."
So, the US bombed Afghanistan and missed catching bin Laden. Turning Afghanistan over to NATO, the adminstration went on devising reasons to attack Iraq: WMD, Saddam's torture record, WMD, dictatorship, WMD, evil... but never oil. "It has nothing to do with oil...literally nothing," Rumsfeld said. oil
Rumsfeld trimmed military recommendations of troop levels, because this was to be a short war: "...five days, five weeks or five months, but it won't last any longer than that," he said. "I don't do quagmires."
US troops swept into Baghdad a couple of months later, pulled down the statue of Saddam with the help of some Iraqis and Bush announced "Mission accomplished." Rumsfeld described the country wide looting as the "messy" result of sudden freedom; "Stuff happens," he said.
The war had gone so fast that it was a "catastrophic success." years
Iraqi lives would be better because we don't torture, he said, even as the reports came in from Abu Ghraib.
It would be a cheap war: "under $50 billion." cost
Lost lives? counting
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In 1971 President Nixon was recorded saying about Rumsfeld "At least Rummy is tough enough" and "He's a ruthless little bastard. You can be sure of that.
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http://zfacts.com/p/298.html | 01/18/12 07:16 GMT
Modified: Wed, 24 Jan 2007 05:40:40 GMT
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