Rumsfeld rubs off on our own PDs

NEWSWEEK ran an absorbing story this week featuring bitter criticism by retired US generals of US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

The article traces the cack-handed failures of the US occupation of Iraq, with six retired general calling for Rumsfeld’s resignation. They variously claim that he ignored and overrode military advice; committed US forces with a “casualness and swagger”, bullied and browbeat the military into attacking with as few troops as possible; and had no thought-through plan in place to deal with post-invasion Iraq.

The intriguing stuff is the insight given into Rumsfeld’s character and style. The 73-year old Rumsfeld knows as much about humility as Dick Roche does about silent contemplation.