Donald Rumsfeld Admits Iraq Strategy Failure

According to the following report former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told president Bush before resigning his post that the administration's strategy in Iraq was failing, and included his proposals which sited possible troop reductions. This comes at the end of Rumsfeld's time as US Defence Secretary. Beyond politics, and the new left leaning majority, could the failing strategy in Iraq have been the only cause for Rumsfeld's resignation?



At a time when the vicious sectarian violence in Iraq is claiming very high casualties, and the prospect of a peaceful 'democracy' seems more like a shattered dream. Rumsfeld, one of the key and very top players in this war and a lead strategist makes quick exit with an admission of failure.

How convenient.

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:

Rumsfeld Resigns
Rumsfeld's Dirty Bomb

[edit on 2-12-2006 by UM_Gazz]

Oh, another off the cuff remark...............yawn. Who cares, they went in without reason, why should it matter how they exit. I'm so angry about this, especially as more civillians and true freedom fighters died wanting to get these aholes out of their country. Any other tripe speaks for itself, while you sit transfixed to your TV like a perv watching porn. You Fd up USA, that's why Europe loathes you. Good luck and "God Bless" *fingers down larynx*

Very convenient indeed, I wonder what else he may be willing to say after all he will never get a chance to the US presidency.

I guess he can now join the ranks with the Generals that got to retired after complaining about him and Iraq strategies.

Or perhaps he can now join Collin Powell he got fired for speaking his mind also

Who knows Bush is not for re-election so I see everybody getting away from Bush and his administration as much as they can, is all about political image.

I don't believe the American Army and her allies where supposed to win in Iraq. The whole invasion was to break Iraq into three pieces, and America gets the biggest piece of the oil pie. Why else would Bush be building Fortress America in the Green zone, the only construction that is on schedule.

Originally posted by Xeros
Oh, another off the cuff remark...............yawn. Who cares, they went in without reason, why should it matter how they exit. I'm so angry about this, especially as more civillians and true freedom fighters died wanting to get these aholes out of their country. Any other tripe speaks for itself, while you sit transfixed to your TV like a perv watching porn. You Fd up USA, that's why Europe loathes you. Good luck and "God Bless" *fingers down larynx*

That makes about as much sense as an American saying we hate all Europeans because of the actions of Hitler, or that we hate all the Brits because of Tony Blair.

Do you really think that all of America is behind Bush? Did you know that Bush actually lost the popular vote the first time he ran? Do you honestly think that our soldiers are a bunch of "aholes"? Do you really think that most of the nutjobs out there are actually in it for real freedom instead of setting up their own theoracracy or dictatorship?

Now I disagree that we went into Iraq in the first place, and personally I'd rather leave now since I've pretty much given up on the middle east. But from an international perspective we'd do a lot more damage by leaving now then letting the insurgency die out as the average one does after ten years. By leaving now there is absolutely nothing that even remotely keeps them in line. The thing I can't really figure out is why if so many people think we caused such a mess why they don't like the idea of us cleaning up that mess. It's like saying "we don't like that you spilled wine on that nice expensive carpet, but we think it'd look better if you just left it like that so don't clean it up".

It seems that everybody gets it, but George Bush. This is somewhat surprising to me, and appears as if there is a crack in the facade of PNAC. Like the recent election with the democrats winning the majority of the house, I see this as a victory for all the freethinking individuals and to true patriots. We are taking back our country!

What a horrible legacy this administration will leave. I think in the future, like Watergate in the past, this will be the new standard for how low an administration can go.

I think they did expect to win in Iraq. In their arrogance they were planning ahead to Iran, Syria, Indonesia, etc. Remember 'regime change'? They didn't expect the resistance they ran into after 'Mission Accomplished" But maybe the real incentive was war profitteering. How much did Daddy and the Carlyle Group make brokering arms? How much did Dick and his Halliburton cronies make? What ever happened to the investigation into Halliurton under Cheneys reign? Why is he a teflon Dick? What has been going on the last 6 years in Washington DC has been shameful and the American people are owed an apology by the Washington Elite. They don't deserve to represent the citizens of America. This has been the most secretive administration in memory. They are much more similar to fascist than federalist. So much for the 'unitary executive'. If as in the Bible they sought to find 10 honest, God-fearing men in DC that 'mushroom cloud' the neocons used to scare Americans with, may be the last thing we see of Washington. We deserve better.

Personally I don't think the democrats winning leaves us any better. If anything it's like switching to Pepsi over Coke, just a different flavor of the same poison.

But I've got to say I didn't expect Rumsfeld to flat out say the strategy isn't working, I figured he'd just be a yes man and do as his boss said. And although I've never agreed with all of his policies, I've got a lot more newfound respect for the man than I do for most of the others in that administration. Such a shame our current president is intolerant of differing opinions.

So I never thought I'd say it, but kudos for Rumsfeld.

Was Rumfeld a subordinate of GW? How can he get credit for admitting a failed policy after pursuing it and contiually saying things were getting better? Or at leat that progress was being made. I keep seeing his 1983 handshake with Saddam. He is a neocon through and through and he clearly was the second to the last person to realize things were no ok in Iraq.

As for the Dems, time will tell but I share you pessimism.

Rummsfelds a smart yet stubborn guy....

Im glad this has come out, because what he says does have a lot of weight behind it... regardless of how much people loathe him.

But I get the worrying feeling its coming out for reasons which are not going to help this situation.

Its a public ploy from the whitehouse.... im sure of this but i just cannot understand for what means.

Why can they confirm the authenticity of this letter? yet refuse to comment when all it suggests is what the people want, and what the people expect the baker group to advise...

What would be MORE INTERESTING..
is for rummsfield to comment on the abu grahib incidents that he ordered the media to hide from the public....


Who exactly is running this administration?

Months before his dismissal, president bush stated rummsfield was the right man, and he would stick by him..

then he dismisses him.... and we're being made to believe from this report its bcause of his views which apparently go against president bushes...

Who told bush to ditch rummsfield?

The 'three amigo's' of the illegial invasion 'cheney bush and rummy' are down to two...........

Back in the day, rummy and cheney were a significant partnership for previous presidents..

Looks like cheney just stabbed his mate in the back.

Originally posted by cyberdude78

Originally posted by Xeros
Oh, another off the cuff remark...............yawn. Who cares, they went in without reason, why should it matter how they exit. I'm so angry about this, especially as more civillians and true freedom fighters died wanting to get these aholes out of their country. Any other tripe speaks for itself, while you sit transfixed to your TV like a perv watching porn. You Fd up USA, that's why Europe loathes you. Good luck and "God Bless" *fingers down larynx*

That makes about as much sense as an American saying we hate all Europeans because of the actions of Hitler, or that we hate all the Brits because of Tony Blair.

Why? its the truth, our allies hate us. This really should be a shocker, you should see the comments on you tube witht he videos honoring our fellow soldiers, they curse them and make obscene comments.

I will not sink to their level howevern and say anything bad about the men and women in the british armed services, especially if they are anything like ours.

I just don't see why on earth anybody should go hating the common person of a nation for something that they didn't do. Because despite how messed up I think the Iranian leadership is, I've got nothing against the common Iranian person.

Anybody think it's too idealistic of me to think that the common person doesn't need that kind of hatred?

IMO the memo and the timing of its leaking to the press is very suspect. I think it is a part of the subtle shift in the opinions of the Iraq wars core supporters. One example of this come to mind the first is the recent Vanity Fair article in which a few Neo Cons admitted that going into Iraq wasnt such a good idea. While continuing to blame the media for Iraq's problems the wars core supporters no longer seem to refer to the Coalition defeating the insurgency.

Originally posted by xpert11
IMO the memo and the timing of its leaking to the press is very suspect.

I agree.

While most of the world has watched the daily conflict and violence in Iraq and drawn the conclusion that it was a strategic failure, one of the Leaders and most public proponent of the strategy of war in Iraq has to resign and then leak his admission of failure. The timing being so close to a major electoral victory for the opposing political party, seems even more suspect to me. It seems as if it was intended to give the perception that Rumsfeld resigned because of a political shift in Washington, however with the leak of this memo, it now seems his resignation was more of a convenient exit, or way of giving up on the war in Iraq, which in the more simple one on one world would compare to someone picking a fight, thinking they can win, and then running away when it was clear that a win was no longer possible.

I think as time goes on, there will be more 'leaks' like this, and in the end it will all amount to finger pointing, and blame game. Meanwhile Iraq spirals out of control, and the Iraqi people who once dared to dream of peace and freedom pay the ultimate price for a failed and abandoned war strategy.

A convenient truth?

[edit on 4-12-2006 by UM_Gazz]

I would not be surprised if it was all Bush's fault. Loyal men like Rumsfeld would attempt to work a plan "at the pleasure of the president". This theme is said over and over by old Bush administration officials.

Essentially, they do what they do in an effort to follow the Presidents guidance and Idealology even when they do not agree with it. The are yes men. Powel resigned because he could no longer serve as a yes man to President Bush.

Bush is a bully plain and simple and is unwilling to work with anyone or use other people's ideas to solve crisis. You are either with him or against him. That in a nutshell defines the Bush Administration. Bush gets an idea and stick with it no matter how many times it proves wrong and in his case deadly to humans.

Rumsfeld being a loyalist, did his best to be in the "with him category" for as long as he could do so. Powel had more integrity and bowed out of the second administration.

Condi is obviously a royal suck up and has no ideas of her own or integrity.

I am so glad that our country limits presidencies to two terms. Thank God for that.

We need a healer and someone who can wash the taint Bush has put on our nation in office for the next 8 years after Bush.

"Donald Rumsfeld Admits the Bush administration is a failure", would have been a better name for this post.

An interesting and somewhat related story...




I find it amazing that this kind of news and leaks are coming from the Bush administration regarding the Iraq war, and "exit strategies".

When just months ago many right wing war supporters were calling everyone on the left the "cut and run party".

Could the Bush administration be setting the stage for a cut and run strategy in Iraq?

[edit on 3-12-2006 by UM_Gazz]

Um_Gazz,

You are forgetting that is all about politics and political careers at stake in the Republican party, it was ok to call the anti-war supporter all kind of names and to call the Democrats the party that supporter cut and run, the reason for that was because the support for the war.

After the lost of both the house and the senate, the Republicans got a wake up call, the war was not so popular anymore and now the cut and run rhetoric actually looks like a good move to support if you are running for office in 2008.

Can you blame all the politicians that are looking for future political positions to have a change of hart?

It is all about politics, and even when Mr. Bush does not care about polls and public opinions . . . the ones that lost their congress seat are thinking about that right now while doing their housecleaning.

However, is not over US is planning to upgrade the over one hundred bases that they occupy in Iraq right now.

So it seems that the cut and run is just to save face, but who is going to occupy those bases? I guess somebody has to help keep the Iraqi oil safe.

One Hundred And Six Permanent US Military Bases In Iraq

www.abovetopsecret.com...

The bases names

www.globalsecurity.org...

Will the new Democrat Congress back up the financing of the upgrade planned to keep this bases?

I wonder.

Originally posted by marg6043
Can you blame all the politicians that are looking for future political positions to have a change of hart?

No I can't blame them, that is after all how the game of politics is played.

The sad and tragic part is that those most effected by this battle of political ideologies and war, are the US and coalition forces in the region of war, and the Iraqi people.

Now that the chance of victory in this game is all but lost, it's time to find a quick and easy way out. They must find a way to save a sinking ship.

Perhaps it is best, many Iraqis want the US forces out of Iraq, and who can really blame them?

At some point Iraq will rise or fall divided on its own. The contributing factors and who is to credit or blame will be the next phase of the game.

Originally posted by UM_Gazz


The sad and tragic part is that those most effected by this battle of political ideologies and war, are the US and coalition forces in the region of war, and the Iraqi people.
.

I wonder how the families of the wounded and killed coalition forces feel now that one of the main architects basically admits that he chumped them out for some war that only the neo-cons know the real reason for. And now that they admit that it was a failed strategy; it's like Nam all over again.

"In my view it is time for a major adjustment. Clearly, what U.S. forces are currently doing in Iraq is not working well enough or fast enough," Rumsfeld said in the classified memo, dated November 6. The Times posted a copy of the memo along with an article about it on its Web site.

I call shenanigans...

One more time....my take on it is that this story is a bunch of B.S.....smacks of a public relations move.....