Associated Press
Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has kept a relatively low profile in recent years -- leaving office as a reviled national embarrassment tends to leave limited options -- but he still works his way into the spotlight from time to time.
This week, for example, Rumsfeld appeared on Fox News to question President Obama's claims about the mission that killed Osama bin Laden a year ago. "You mentioned there was a tough decision," he said. "I don't think it was a tough decision."
There are a few relevant angles to the comments. First, whether the former Pentagon chief understands this or not, the decision facing Obama was far more complex and risky than Republicans chose to believe. Second, if Rumsfeld hadn't made the wrong call at Tora Bora, the threat posed by the al Qaeda leader would have been eliminated a decade ago.
But Glenn Thrush highlights another tidbit that seems important: six years ago, the U.S. was poised to launch a raid in Pakistan against al Qaeda, but Rumsfeld called it off. It was, he decided at the time, too risky.
A secret military operation in early 2005 to capture senior members of Al Qaeda in Pakistan's tribal areas was aborted at the last minute after top Bush administration officials decided it was too risky and could jeopardize relations with Pakistan, according to intelligence and military officials.
The target was a meeting of Qaeda leaders that intelligence officials thought included Ayman al-Zawahri, Osama bin Laden's top deputy and the man believed to run the terrorist group's operations.
But the mission was called off after Donald H. Rumsfeld.... Members of a Navy Seals unit in parachute gear had already boarded C-130 cargo planes in Afghanistan when the mission was canceled, said a former senior intelligence official involved in the planning.
Rumsfeld thought at the time the mission was too dangerous and could cause diplomatic problems with Pakistan.
The point, of course, isn't to mock Rumsfeld's questionable judgment during his tenure; rather, the point is his recent rhetoric about what does and doesn't count as a "tough decision" is ridiculous.
And frankly, the idea that this guy still considers himself a credible voice is itself rather comical. Listening to Rumsfeld talk about the wisdom of military strikes is comparable to listening to George W. Bush talk about economic policy. Oh wait.
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I don't think any member of the massive and epic failure that was the Bush-Cheney regime has any right or any privilege to public attack their successor who happened to clean up the pile of messes these idiots left when they finally skipped town four years ago. How can Donald Rumsfeld, the architect of failed policy after failed policy, have any guts left to complain about Barack Obama when he is the president that actually took out bin Laden, the most wanted man responsible for thousands of American deaths on George Bush's watch? These people need to go back in their secret bunkers, and just stay there... http://www.sunstateactivist.org
Two words: Dunning & Kruger
Wicked and shameless! You really should relax and maybe do a nature feature of an expose on truthiness. I heard a line once in a movie or somewhere that went something like "You've done nothing by besting a fool"
Got a idea for you. Send this post to Fox news!!!
He is auditioning for Fog of War II, soon in a theater near you.
See how inept defense secretaries fulfill an Ideologues vision at the cost of countless billions of dollars and thousands of American and innocent civilian lives .
I'd like to see them all in a movie - "Jailhouse Rock"! Or maybe it should be a "reality show".....
Good job in finding a picture that makes Rummy look old and befuddled. I'd prefer a photo of him in prison gear, however I guess that will have to wait.
But I can't help thinking Obama is working from the Rumsfeld playbook, with this ever-escalating pushbutton drone war.
There are pictures of Rummy where he doesn't look old and befuddled?
Yeah, but this one looks like he's just been forcefully told that Al Jolson impressions aren't considered funny any more.
No, Rummy's right on this one.
Decisions for Republican leader are complex and risky, while similar levels of decisions for Democratic leaders are easy. //snark alert//
With Republican leadership, any decision which endangers one's income and one's status on those homogenized insider party lists is complex and risky, thus the penchant for backing away.
Democratic leadership seems to just accept the risks and do the stinky smelly job, and take the stinky smelly criticism after it's over. Obama did that with health care, he did it with Bin Laden, he does it every time he addresses Congress.
:)
It fits into a long established pattern. Consider that Kissinger, Alan Greenspan, and even McNamara were regarded as oracles long after they presided over epic debacles. They pop up as talking heads dispensing wisdom while the stench is still in the air and float along on book tours. One of the Keating Five got the GOP nomination to run for the presidency!
Just yesterday Chris Matthews was calling that nominee a "War Hero"!
F. Scott Fitzgerald was wrong- there ARE second acts in America, and the past is NOT prologue to the future (As Mitt reminds us, daily!)
Especially Mr. Andrea Mitchell .
My favorite quote from 2005
"There is a slight froth in the housing market"
He could have stopped it , but just sat on the sidelines while the economy cratered.
He was war victim and suffered greatly as a tortured prisoner. Enduring torture valorously is brave to be sure. But that is not quite the same thing. It certainly doesn't confir status as a strategic thinker. He was kept caged for 5 years with nothing much more than his own thoughts.
You're confusing the "reality-based community" past with the "imperial actors" past. The past that is prologue to the future is being written as we speak. Often in Fox News editorial offices.
Gee Rummy, if it was so easy then why didn't you get the job done in the 5 years you had the opportunity?
Shut your piehole and go back to wherever in the U.S. you are enjoying safe haven from your war crimes.
Right on.. Maybe he'll take Newt with him this time.
Rumsfeld didn't think invading Iraq was a risky decision either.
I regret that I have but one vote to give for the awesome comment of the day.
While our guy's were putting their own homeade armor plating on the bottoms of their vehicles,Rummy was out there saying that you go to war with what you have.Sure,he would he did'nt have to worry about getting his arm or leg blown off. And there's his famous ,you know what you do'nt know that you know you do'nt know speech.The man had no idea what he was doing from the beginning,to the time he resigned (fired). All these know nothing Bushies are coming out of hiding now because they do'nt think we remember.But no problem,Romney will hire them.
BOL (Barf out loud)..
Is Rummy showing symptoms of dementia?
How could we tell the difference?
I would like to see GWB and all of his accomplices go and try a victory lap in Iraq.
I would like to see GWB & cronies stand trial for crimes against humanity.
WHY is this guy still walking around on the streets? Shouldn't he be defending himself at a war crimes tribunal?
Oh for chrissake!
Is this man who should be standing in the dock for his crimes against America & humanity along with Bush,Cheney & Wolfowitz, dares to speak in public?
Look forward, not backward.
I believe in looking forward. But looking forward also includes looking forward to the time when people like Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, etc. understand that there are consequences for their war crimes.
Otherwise, why don't we just throw out the entire legal system?
D.C.Session - then I look forward to the day that they get marched to jail, directly to jail, don't stop just go to jail.
When was Rumsfeld ever credible?
Perhaps the former head of Minipax would like to visit Europe and discuss his work. They'd give him plenty of opportunity to testify at The Hague.
In 1947 war criminals went on trial in Nuremburg. Now they get book contracts and regular appearances on the Sunday morning food fight shows.
Normal people would be hanging their heads in shame and not ever crawl out of the rocks they are hiding under. Not egomaniacs, not narcissistic megalomaniacs. Nothing shames them, nothing keeps them from pounding their chests. They are never wrong, never apologize, never consider anyone else.
The rooster continues to crow..... simply stunning!
To experience shame, you must have a conscience. End of discussion.
You know what would make me happy was if Rummy, Cheney and Bush were behind bars playing checkers with Alberto Gonzalez.
And don't forget Woo, who just received immunity from prosecution in the torture
debacle.
Day after day, alone on a hill, a man with a foolish grin is keeping perfectly still, and nobody seems to like him, they can tell what he wants to do...." with sincere apologies to dick the penquin cheney, who's so vain he probably thinks this song is about him.
"There are a lot of known unknowns that we know, that we don't know anything
about.....". But I digress.
President Cheney, Rumsfeld, etal obviously still smarting over the loss of those
pallets of $100. bills they shipped over to Iraq, not knowing that Haliburton/Blackwater
would not be the security firm of choice post-2008.
Oh the humanities ! ! ! !
In the Echo Chamber, no one can hear you lie.
"Donald Rumsfeld credible..."
Bawahhhhhahahahahhahahahhahahahhahahahahahhahhhh...pause for breath....hahahahahahahahahahhahaaaaaahahahahahahahahahaahahahah...
Art project: Let's make a list of the "experts" we never want to hear a peep out of again, not necessary starting with Rummy, but certainly including Chaney, Yoo, Wolfowitz and that bimbo you were talking to on Meet the Rest sunday.
There's just simply no bounds some people aren't willing to cross to rewrite their own made up history, even if it means embarrassing themselves before the world.