Rumsfeld to Pen Memoirs

Memoir unapologetic, but he wishes president accepted resignation in '04

(NEWSER) - Reviewers have gotten an early peek at Donald Rumsfeld's memoir, Known and Unknown, with the Washington Post and New York Times noting these highlights:

• Biggest regret: Not insisting that President Bush accept his resignation after the Abu Ghraib allegations in 2004. He says the abuse was the work of rogue soldiers, but thinks his resignation might have blunted the "drumbeat of torture" allegations by "partisan critics of the war."
• On Bush: He was a "far more formidable president than his popular image,” but Rumsfeld thinks his loose management style led to an unfocused war strategy.

Former Pentagon chief undermined president, former aides say

(NEWSER) - Donald Rumsfeld isn’t a preacher, but nearly every morning after the Iraq invasion, he handed President Bush a national security digest containing Biblical quotations intended to influence his decisions. This tactic, Robert Draper writes for GQ in a lengthy look at Rummy's standing among administration contemporaries, epitomizes the former Pentagon secretary—a manipulative, imperious bully who would do anything to get his way, including vexing US troops. More»

Rumsfeld order in '04 allowed peacetime strikes on al-Qaeda

(NEWSER) - The American military has conducted almost a dozen secret attacks against al-Qaeda and other militant groups in Syria, Pakistan, and other nations since 2004, the New York Times reveals. The strikes were carried out under a classified order signed by Donald Rumsfeld that gave sweeping powers to let the military conduct operations in 15 to 20 countries with which the US is not at war. More»

Bipartisan agreement allocates $163B for Iraq, Afghanistan through early 2009

(NEWSER) - A two-year fight between the White House and Democrats over war funding has been resolved, the New York Times reports. House leaders reached a deal to allocate $163 billion for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan through early next year. The measure, expected to be approved by the full House as early as tomorrow, also includes new education benefits for veterans and an extension of aid for the unemployed. More»

General copes with his transformation into a political actor

(NEWSER) - Once untarnishable, David Petraeus is being transformed into a political figure on both sides of the aisle. Supporters of the US Iraq strategy continue to paint him as a savior, while critics compare him to Westmoreland. "Up until this week, it was Rumsfeld's war," a retired lieutenant colonel tells the Washington Post. "Now, for better or worse, it's Dave's war." More»