As the military architect of the ongoing war in Iraq, Donald Rumsfeld was stubbon and ineffective. That’s why so many were surprised last week when President Bush said his defense secretary would be staying on for the remainder of his presidency.
Now the president has shifted course, and Rumsfeld’s service is ending. It is overdue.
In making the change, the president said a “fresh perspective” is needed at the Pentagon to deal with the ongoing struggle in Iraq. It was a prudent message to send the day after voters repudiated his Iraq policy.
Both Democrats and Republicans have been agitating for Bush to make a move. Just hours before news leaked that Rumsfeld was leaving, Rep. Nancy Pelosi urged the president to “change the civilian leadership of the Pentagon” as a signal of “openness to fresh ideas” on Iraq.
Rumsfeld has been criticized time and again by U.S. military analysts who believe he failed to send enough manpower to stabilize Iraq in the aftermath of the 2003 U.S. invasion. He intimidated military leaders, and they often held their tongues rather than offer unwelcome advice.
Rumsfeld went into Iraq with a plan to topple Saddam Hussein but no plan to secure the peace. He underestimated the problem of maintaining civilian security, and over three years untold thousands have died at the hands of anti-American insugents, with no end in sight.
Democrats have long sought Rumsfeld’s resignation, but even Republicans sensed that growing problems in Iraq – and the volatile unease of U.S. voters – made this day inevitable. Author Bob Woodward reported recently that then-White House chief of staff Andrew Card tried twice to persuade the president to dump Rumsfeld (before Card was dumped himself).
Robert Gates, who served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency under the president’s father, has been tabbed to replace Rumsfeld. He should be able to provide the new perspective Bush says he’s seeking – and if he’s been browsing command reports from Iraq, he’ll understand the urgency of finding a course to stabilize the country and end the U.S. occupation. Gates sits on the commission that’s readying recommendations for U.S. Iraq policy.
He should concentrate on military requirements and leave foreign policy to the secretary of state. He should listen to advice from the uniforms and encourage the top echelon to shoot straight with him.
That’s sure to stimulate a better approach than the one that bogged down Rumsfeld.
