James Forsyth James Forsyth

The breath-taking recklessness of Donald Rumsfeld

One thought one had heard it all when it came to the folly of Donald Rumsfeld’s second stint at the Pentagon. But it is jaw-dropping to see these cover sheets for intelligence briefings that Rumsfeld gave President Bush. They come with Biblical quotes attached to martial images. Just imagine the reaction if these had leaked during the Iraq war. The incident would have played into the charge that the United States was trying to impose Christianity on the Muslim world. They would have undercut Iraqi and Afghan democrats and would have made life even more difficult for American allies in the Muslim world. And to what end, what upside was there to the use of these quotes? None but possibly a brief motivational buzz for those who saw these quotes.  

Robert Draper, the author of the best Bush biography, has further illustrations of Rumsfeld’s arrogance and inability to cooperate with others in the accompanying

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