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Donald Henry Rumsfeld was an American politician, businessman, naval officer, and diplomat who served as the 13th United States secretary of defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and again as the 21st secretary of defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He was both the youngest and the oldest secretary of defense. Additionally, Rumsfeld was a four-term U.S. Congr…
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business · American politician and diplomat (1932–2021) · politician · military officer · diplomat · author · businessperson · civil servant · also Donald Rumsfeld, Donald Henry Rumsfeld, Donald H. Rumsfeld, Donald H Rumsfeld, Rumsfeld
Born 9 July 1932 · Died 29 June 2021 · Q184650
93 published statements · 0 followers
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“This is a memo that describes how we’re going to take out seven countries in five years, starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, finishing off, Iran.”
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“We’ve made the decision we’re going to war with Iraq.”
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“I guess they don’t know what else to do.”
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“There’s nothing new that way. They just made the decision to go to war with Iraq.”
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“I guess it’s like we don’t know what to do about terrorists, but we’ve got a good military and we can take down governments... I guess if the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem has to look like a nail.”
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“These events occurred on my watch as Secretary of Defense. I am accountable for them.”
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“I honestly believe that these two are particularly bad characters and that it”
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“We know where they are. They”
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“product of old thinking and the embodiment of everything that was wrong with the military”
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“We obviously have been seeking [him] out.”
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“ida was to blame and there was no hint of Iraqi involvement.”
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“Much has been written about the Bush administration”
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“has been the subject of gossip, rumors, and crackpot conspiracy theories for more than a quarter of a century ... Supposedly I had been sent to see Saddam by President Reagan either to negotiate a secret oil deal, to help arm Iraq, or to make Iraq an American client state. The truth is that our encounter was more straightforward and less dramatic.”
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Public attention spiked: 6,768 Wikipedia readers in one day, 5.6× the usual 1,200, with 0 article edits.
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The Guardian: Iraq was Donald Rumsfeld’s war. It will forever be his legacy | Andrew Cockburn
The Guardian: Rumsfeld’s much-vaunted ‘courage’ was a smokescreen for lies, crime and death | Richard Wolffe
The Guardian: History unlikely to forgive Donald Rumsfeld’s Iraq warmongering
The Guardian: Donald Rumsfeld, former US defense secretary, dies aged 88
The Guardian: Donald Rumsfeld obituary
Rumsfeld died from multiple myeloma at his home in Taos, New Mexico
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Died 2021-06-29.
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Rumsfeld was one of the ten living former Secretaries of Defense that sent a warning letter in order to warn President Trump not to involve the military in a 2020 presidential election dispute
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“I can't tell you if the use of force in Iraq today would last five days, or five weeks, or five months, but it certainly isn't going to last any longer than that.”
“It's a difficult thing today to be informed about our government even without all the secrecy.”
“I'm not into this detail stuff. I'm more concepty.”
The Guardian: Donald Rumsfeld releases solitaire app
“s aides Bush Jr ‘made his own decisions’ says former defense secretary, who is labelled arrogant and damaging to president in new biography of George HW Bush Nov 5 2015 21.21 EST … … comments George Bush Sr book reveals a more dangerous Dick Cheney than anyone knew Destiny and Power shows a VP with more authority than almost all his predecessors, making plain Bush Jr’s administration could have been even worse Nov 5 2015 09.29 EST … … comments”
The Guardian: 'Iron-ass' Cheney and 'arrogant' Rumsfeld damaged America, says George Bush Sr
Awarded Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun in Tokyo (2015).
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The Guardian: Donald Rumsfeld denies he thought democracy in Iraq was 'realistic' goal
Responded, saying that Rumsfeld "doesn't know what he's talking about
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Stated "Rumsfeld left office as one of the most controversial Defense Secretaries since Robert McNamara and widely criticized for his management of the Iraq war and for his difficult relationships with Congress, administ
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Three years after Rumsfeld's tenure as Defense secretary ended, the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations led an investigation into the Battle of Tora Bora in December 2001, during the early phase of the U
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Rumsfeld, along with Bush, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Governor of Michigan Jennifer Granholm and Mayor of Grand Rapids George Heartwell, spoke at Ford's Grand Rapids funeral service
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Rumsfeld established The Rumsfeld Foundation, which focuses on encouraging public service in the United States and supporting the growth of free political and free economic systems abroad
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A farewell ceremony, with an armed forces full honor review and a 19-gun salute, was held at the Pentagon Mall Terrace in honor of the departing Rumsfeld
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Bush announced Rumsfeld would resign his position as Secretary of Defense
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Bush stated he would stand by Rumsfeld as defense secretary for the length of his term as president
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At a press conference at the Pentagon after the failure of Operation Together Forward in Iraq, Rumsfeld referenced a magazine column recently published by Time that was entitled 'Would defeat in Iraq be so bad
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At a press conference at the Pentagon, Rumsfeld commented on the sectarian violence in Iraq where he stated "there's sectarian violence; people are being killed
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“Opis: odpowiedź na krytykę Donalda Rumsfelda, kwiecień 2006.”
Rumsfeld responded to a question by Brit Hume of Fox News as to whether he pressed General Tommy Franks to lower his request for 400,000 troops for the war:
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The ACLU and Human Rights First filed a lawsuit against Rumsfeld and other top government officials, "on behalf of eight men who they say were subjected to torture and abuse by U
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A suit was filed against Rumsfeld by several human rights organizations for allegedly violating U
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German prosecutor Wolfgang Kaleck filed a criminal complaint charging Rumsfeld and 11 other U
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Rumsfeld in an interview with journalist Lesley Stahl on 60 Minutes after U
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At a press conference at the Pentagon, Rumsfeld commented on the release of photographs of the deceased sons of Saddam Hussein, Uday Hussein and Qusay Hussein
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Awarded Grand Officer of the Order of the Star of Romania presented by Ion Iliescu in The Pentagon (2003).
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Rumsfeld during a visit to Afghanistan meeting with U
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At a press conference at the Pentagon, when asked at the time why U
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At a press conference at the Pentagon, Rumsfeld addressed reporters during the Fall of Baghdad, and stated "The scenes of free Iraqis celebrating in the streets, riding American tanks, tearing down the statues of Saddam
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In an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC's This Week program, Rumsfeld answered a question by Stephanopoulos about finding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Rumsfeld stated "We know where they are
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Just hours after the launch of the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, where he announced the first strike of the war to liberate Iraq and that "The days of the Saddam Hussein regime are numbered," and "We continue to feel there is n
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Rumsfeld told reporters after being asked a question that Army Chief of Staff General Eric Shinseki suggested it would take several hundred thousand troops on the ground to secure Iraq and provide stability
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After the German and French governments voiced opposition to invading Iraq, Rumsfeld labeled these countries as part of "Old Europe", implying that countries that supported the war were part of a newer, modern Europe
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“I never again want our army to arrive somewhere and meet the CIA on the ground.”
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“Iraq had absolutely nothing to do with 11 September. If the United States invades Iraq, we should remember that.”
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“I feel it was the right decision, and I”
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In another press conference at the Pentagon, Rumsfeld commented on the mission of Operation Anaconda by stating "Operation Anaconda continues in the area south of Gardez in eastern Afghanistan
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“The war is over in Afghanistan,”
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Rumsfeld described the role of U
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Stated "As the first weeks of this effort proceed, it bears repeating that our goal is not to reduce or simply contain terrorist acts, but our goal is to deal with it comprehensively
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Just hours after the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan was launched, Rumsfeld addressed the nation in a press conference at the Pentagon stating "While our raids today focus on the Taliban and the foreign terrorists in Afghan
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USCENTCOM Commander General Tommy Franks, briefed the President on a plan to destroy al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and remove the Taliban government
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Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked commercial airliners and crashed them in coordinated strikes into both towers of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, New York City, and the Pentagon in Washington, D
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Despite Rumsfeld's past rivalry with the previous President Bush
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Career landmark: United States Secretary of Defense (2001–2006).
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“recall it being brought before the board at any time”
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But withdrew from the race before primaries began
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Met Saddam Hussein at Saddam's palace and engaged a 90-minute discussion with him
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Won Presidential Medal of Freedom presented by Gerald Ford (1977).
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Rumsfeld was awarded the nation's highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom
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Career landmark: chief executive officer (1977).
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Rumsfeld was confirmed as Secretary of Defense by a vote of 97–2
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Career landmark: United States Secretary of Defense (1975–1977).
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And retired with the rank of captain in 1989
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And 2001, Rumsfeld was overwhelmingly confirmed by the U
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Career landmark: White House Chief of Staff (1974–1975).
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And was chosen by Ford to succeed James Schlesinger as United States Secretary of Defense in 1975
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Career landmark: United States Permanent Representative to NATO (1973–1974).
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Career landmark: Counselor to the President (1970–1971).
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As well, and later headed up the Cost of Living Council
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And regularly interacted with the Nixon administration hierarchy
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— his fourth term — to serve in the Nixon administration in a variety of executive branch positions
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Following the defeat of Barry Goldwater by Lyndon B
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Career landmark: United States representative (1963–1969).
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At the age of 30, and was re-elected by large majorities in 1964, 1966, and 1968
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At Naval Air Station Grosse Ile, Michigan, where he flew the S2F Tracker
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Moved on to become a staff assistant to Congressman Robert P
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Was assigned to Anti-submarine Squadron 662 at Naval Air Station Anacostia in Washington, D
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Transferred to the Naval Reserve and continued his naval service in flying and administrative assignments as a drilling reservist
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And was the recipient of both the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America and its Silver Buffalo Award in 2006
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Born 1932-07-09.
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