Donald Rumsfeld, two-time US defence secretary, dies at age 88

[lahori]

The architect of an unpopular war finally steps down. About frickin' time. This should put a dent in the Iraq war process and hopefully the US will realize it is better off withdrawing its troops and sending them back home.

I hope Bush and Cheney follow suit.

 

[zushy_786]

The architect of an unpopular war finally steps down. About frickin' time. This should put a dent in the Iraq war process and hopefully the US will realize it is better off withdrawing its troops and sending them back home.

I hope Bush and Cheney follow suit.

Good news ! Hopefully, Rumsfield will be forced by the international community to appear at the War Crimes Tribunal at the Hague for crimes against humanity. Then I will truly feel that justice has been served...

 

[Oxy]

Rumsfeld has to be considered a war criminal for his actions.

Here's praying...

 

[2DashingLahori]

Good, Now we can send him to Trial for killing millions. This is big news! For someone who would never leave office has resigned! The democrat win last night did it all!

Bush and Cheeny, go home and take your oil war home as well!

 

[BroskiBeat]

Good riddance!

 

[Easa]

Good stuff.

 

[PlanetPakistan]

Nice timing Mr. Rumsfeld...didn't know you were taking lessons from M Yousuf.

 

[Easa]

I hope Bush and Dick follow.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, architect of an unpopular war in Iraq, is resigning after six stormy years at the Pentagon, President Bush said Wednesday.

Bush said Robert Gates, former head of the CIA under the first President Bush, would be tapped to replace Rumsfeld.

The development occurred one day after midterm elections that cost Republicans control of the House, and possibly the Senate, as well. Surveys of voters at polling places said opposition to the war was a significant contributor to the Democratic victory.

President Bush announced Rumsfeld's departure and Gates' nomination at an afternoon news conference. Administration officials notified congressional officials in advance.

Military officials and politicians dissatisfied with the course of the war had called for Rumsfeld’s resignation in the months leading up to the election. Last week, as Bush campaigned to save the Republican majority, he declared that Rumsfeld would remain at the Pentagon through the end of his term.

But sources told NBC News military analyst Bill Arkin that prior to the election, Vice President Dick Cheney argued with other politicians over whether Rumsfeld should stay. White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and others argued Rumsfeld should be removed, the source said.

Rumsfeld, 74, was in his second tour of duty as defense chief. He first held the job a generation ago, when he was appointed by President Ford.

Gates is the president of Texas A&M University and a close friend of the Bush family. He served as CIA director for Bush’s father from 1991 until 1993.

Gates first joined the CIA in 1966 and served in the intelligence community for more than a quarter century, under six presidents.

His nomination must be confirmed by the Senate.

Whatever confidence Bush retained in Rumsfeld, the Cabinet officer’s support in Congress had eroded significantly. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the House speaker-in-waiting, said at her first post-election news conference that Bush should replace the top civilian leadership at the Pentagon.

And Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who had intervened in the past to shore up Rumsfeld, issued a statement saying, “Washington must now work together in a bipartisan way — Republicans and Democrats — to outline the path to success in Iraq.”

 

[nafajafam]

about time i say. bush and cheney wont follow as some of us might expect. i really do hope an investigation is run and ronny boy is tried.

 

[Monsee]

Brumsfeld they called him...Mumbling Bakwaas was his specialty

In his absence now, Bush will have a hard time appearing as a smaller lunatic

 

[Saj]

I hear Rumsfeld is still looking for those imaginary weapons of mass destruction that he dreamt of.

 

[Daoud]

I hear Rumsfeld is still looking for those imaginary weapons of mass destruction that he dreamt of.

Im pretty sure he will say he saw them around this time

About time. Now for the other 2. Doubt he'll be brought to justice in a court of law though

 

[KingKhanWC]

Ex-US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld dead at 88

Former US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, one of the main architects of the Iraq war, has died at the age of 88, his family has announced.

Serving under President George W Bush, he was a leading proponent of the administration's "war on terror".

US forces launched a campaign in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks. In 2003 the US invaded Iraq.

Mr Rumsfeld resigned in 2006 amid the turmoil in post-war Iraq, but always defended his record.

Reacting to the news, President Bush described Mr Rumsfeld as "a very good man".

He died at his home in the town of Taos, New Mexico.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-57674117

 

[KingKhanWC]

He evaded justice for serious war crimes in this life...God may see it differently...

 

[irfan]

good riddance

 

[Savak]

The biggest Hawke of the Bush Administration

 

[KingKhanWC]

The biggest Hawke of the Bush Administration

He also claimed OBL has high tech caves.

 

[Tubs]

Reprehensible individual. A shame that he committed such atrocities, and just rots in the ground.

 

[MenInG]

Donald Rumsfeld, the two-time US defence secretary who was one of the main architects of the Iraq war, has died at the age of 88.

Serving under President George W Bush, he was a key proponent of the so-called "war on terror" after the 9/11 attacks.

US forces invaded Iraq in 2003 after claiming the country had weapons of mass destruction, but no such weapons were found.

Mr Rumsfeld resigned three years later amid the fallout from the conflict.

He staunchly defended his record, but many experts blamed him for decisions that led to difficulties in Iraq and the wider region.

On Wednesday, his family said he had died at home in the town of Taos, New Mexico. "History may remember him for his extraordinary accomplishments over six decades of public service," they said in a statement.

"But for those who knew him best and whose lives were forever changed as a result, we will remember his unwavering love for his wife Joyce, his family and friends, and the integrity he brought to a life dedicated to country."

Reacting to the news, President Bush described him as "a man of intelligence, integrity, and almost inexhaustible energy" and an "exemplary public servant" who "never flinched from responsibility".

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin, meanwhile, said: "Secretary Rumsfeld was propelled by his boundless energy, probing intellect, and abiding commitment to serve his country."

Born in Chicago in 1932, Mr Rumsfeld's political and private career spanned decades. He first came to Washington DC in the 1960s and served in multiple positions under presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

In 1975, he became the youngest person to be named defence secretary and later became the oldest to serve in the role during his second stint under President Bush.

He was at the Pentagon when the building was hit by a hijacked airplane during the 9/11 attacks. Mr Rumsfeld was among the first to reach the smouldering crash site, and he helped carry the wounded in stretchers.

Less than a month later, US forces began an air campaign against al-Qaeda, the group responsible for the attacks, and the Taliban in Afghanistan, toppling the regime within weeks.

The administration's attention then turned to Iraq, which had played no role in the attacks. Mr Rumsfeld made the case for the March 2003 invasion, arguing that the country's weapons of mass destruction posed a danger to the world. No such weapons were ever found.

Mr Rumsfeld was known for his rollicking news conferences in which he sparred with reporters. One of the most memorable moments came in 2002, when he gave a much-mocked answer about "known knowns" and "known unknowns" after being asked whether there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

His tenure was also marked by photos that surfaced in 2004 of US personnel abusing prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad, and the treatment of foreign terrorism suspects at a prison set up at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Mr Rumsfeld, however, largely remained defiant over his record after leaving office. In a 2011 memoir, which he titled Known and Unknown, he defended his decisions around the Iraq war but did express regret over some of his comments.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57674117

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

A mass killer dressed up as a civvy. The world is a better place today.

 

[saeedhk]

A despicable person. He is responsible for the whole-scale massacre of innocent Iraqis.

 

[junoon]

What i am saying may seem harsh

But I hope he burns in the deepest part of hell

 

[Technics 1210]

The guy deserves to be the fuel of hell fire. A right-wing Christian terrorist.

 

[King-Misbah]

No tears shed.