Posted on 06/10/2015 5:09:51 AM PDT by lbryce
Donald Rumsfeld, one of the leading architects of the Iraq war, reportedly said in a recent interview that then-President George W. Bush was "unrealistic" to pursue democracy in the country.
Rumsfeld, who served as Bush's defense secretary from 2001 to 2006, allegedly made the comments in an interview with the Times of London.
"I'm not one who thinks that our particular template of democracy is appropriate for other countries at every moment of their histories," Rumsfeld is quoted as saying.
"The idea that we could fashion a democracy in Iraq seemed to me unrealistic. I was concerned about it when I first heard those words."
However, Rumsfeld later pushed back against the Times article, telling Fox News' Greta Van Susteren that the article was inaccurate.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Not all conservatives are globalists. I don't even know how we all ended up in the same political party. Please don't try to define everyone in your terms.
you can’t even define globalist in terms of oil.....and make anything but babbling noises.
And you can say what you want to, but when you are sounding just like MSNBC, then it’s YOU sistah who is off the conservative reservation.
Absolutely! That is precisely why the Republicans lost in 2006 & 2008. Rove has a phenomenal memory for trivia; but is utterly clueless in how to actually lead.
I wrote an entire book on this single premise (there were other points too) - taking the theory from 1992 thru 2012 election cycles.
Another point I make about Rove, similar to your point: he’s given the role of the strategist, but he has the mind of a tactician. Both are needed, but they are very different. This is why the GOP rarely has a strategy, and only a series of little tactics here and there.
If Rumsfeld was so damn smart why did he refuse to listen to Shinseki and Jones when they told him they needed a larger force? Why did he go along with the dumbass move to disband the Iraqi army? There were a ton of huge mistakes made in the execution of the invasion and occupation. Rumsfeld shares in much of the blame. Rumsfeld was not well liked by many in the military, and were very happy to see him go. This Marine did a little jig when Rumsfeld walked away.
He went along with a number of things he didn’t believe in, being the good soldier.
As for his smaller force issue, his way could have worked without the rules of engagement bullshit those forces had to follow. And perhaps he was a little optimistic about that as well. Either way, ez for you in hindsight. Easy for you to spout your opinion fully knowing that your job doesn’t depend on it.
He was rich, accomplished, and already 70 when he took that role. He didn’t have to do that. He didn’t get anything out of it but a bunch of crap from hindsighters and liberal idiots.
Very good point. We seem to make a habit of supporting the bad guys.
And these are usually to respond to what a basically hostile mass media have defined as the "issues," "needs," "problems," or whatever, of the moment. They seem totally oblivious of the need to promote a different focus, to achieve a different line-up, etc.
you got that right....nailed it.
Rummy has the distinction of being a bad Sec Of Defense not once but twice in two critical times in military history. Both times our troops paid the price for it.
When W appointed Rummy as Sec of Defense I thought to myself he can't be serious about this. His previous tenure as Sec of Def was a disaster. A person can not honestly discuss The Carter Hollow Military Era without also factoring in Rummy's damage done in the Ford administration beforehand. The military in February 1977 was in shambles. AWOL's were high as was Desertion. Morale was low though LOL. If you wanted out of the service it was real easy. Just go AWOL 31 days and report elsewhere. 31 days got you declared a deserter. You got a General DC and would be home in less than a month. He was going to try that crap again under Bush.
Under his first tenure even 16 year vested Lifers were leaving and even more so under Carter. I can not forgive Rummy's Apathy nor Gates for the deliberate apathy of the persecution of our troops serving in the Middle East. That sealed his & Gates legacy IMO as ranking up there with McNamara as all time worst Sec of Defense.
Don't get me wrong Carter is the second most incompetent POTUS in US history second only to Obama. But I do recall Navy wise thing began a slow turnaround in about late 1978 as far as addressing issues I mentioned went.
Iraq was not ready for self government sad to say. Iraq would have been served better by a Benign to allies Dictatorship sort of like Tito who held the lid on Post WW2 Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia under Tito was not a place a freedom loving person would wanted to have lived {I saw it twice back in the late 1970's} but it wasn't a threat to others either as it was not Warsaw Pact.
Yes. I hereby declare C. Edmund Wright the undisputed winner, universal champion for the benefit of everyone here at Free Republic. In addition he’s won the Caitlyn Jenner
Diminished IQ Mentally Hadnnicapped Comments Instigator , inarguably the most asssine, annoying commenter in Free Republic history.
Never heard of him.
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