HELICOPTER DROP HIM OFF AT THE
SLAVE BREAKERS HOME WHERE
DOUGLAS WAS TORTURED TO DEATH.
HE COULD RELAX THERE.
DONALD RUMSFELD DIED TODAY AT
THE AGE OF 88. HE HAD A SINGULAR CAREER.
HE HAD A SINGULAR CAREER.
HE MADE GAZILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN
BUSINESS.
HE SERVED FOUR TERMS IN
CONGRESS, WHICH IS SOMETHING
THATS NOT FREQUENTLY REMEMBERED
ABOUT HIM, ESPECIALLY GIVEN HIS
LATER OVERT AND PRONOUNCED
DISDAIN FOR CONGRESS.
HE SERVED IN A VARIETY OF ROLES
IN THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION
BEFORE BECOMING PRESIDENT GERALD
FORDS WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF
STAFF AND FORDS DEFENSE
SECRETARY.
GEORGE W. BUSH BROUGHT HIM BACK
TO THE PENTAGON IN 2001 TO BE
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE AGAIN.
ITS THE ONLY PERSON TO HAVE
SERVED TWO NONCONSECUTIVE TERMS
AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE.
ON SEPTEMBER 11th, 2001, HE WAS
IN HIS OFFICE AT THE PENTAGON AS
ONE OF THE HIJACKED PLANES
SLAMMED INTO THE BUILDING.
HE HELPED RESCUE PEOPLE, TO HIS
CREDIT.
HE STAYED ON SITE AT THE
PENTAGON THAT DAY ALL DAY WHILE
CHANEY GOT RUSHED TO THE BUNKER
AND THEY FLEW THE PRESIDENT IN
THE AIR FOR A LONG TIME AS IF
THEY WERENT SURE WHERE TO PUT
IM.
RUMSFELD
STAYED IN THE PENTAGON.
HE PLANNED FOR THE INVASION OF
AFGHANISTAN.
BUT AFTER THE INVASION, NOT WHAT
TO DO.
DONALD RUMSFELD PLANNED FOR THE
AMERICAN INVASION OF IRAQ, BUT
THEN NOT FOR WHAT TO DO IN IRAQ
AFTER THE INITIAL INVASION.
AS CHAOS AND CIVIL WAR OVERWHEN
HE WILL M-- OVERWHELMED, HE
INSISTED THAT AMERICANS SHOULD
SEE ALL OF THAT AS GOOD NEWS,
REALLY, BECAUSE FREEDOM IS
UNTIDY.
>> FREEDOM IS UNTIDY.
STUFF HAPPENS.
>> STUFF HAPPENS.
STUFF HAPPENS.
DONALD RUMSFELD WHO DIED TODAY,
AGAIN, AT THE AGE OF 88, WAS
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PLANS OF THE
AMERICAN INVASIONS AND THE
SUBSEQUENT WARS IN IRAQ AND
AFGHANISTAN.
WE ARE ONLY JUST NOW GETTING OUT
OF AFGHANISTAN TODAY.
WHEN IT CAME TO THE SYSTEMATIC
TORTURE OF PRISONERS IN
FACILITIES IN IRAQ, RUMSFELD
BLAMED THAT ON WHAT HE CALLED A
SMALL GROUP OF PRISON GUARDS WHO
RAN AMOK.
THE HISTORICAL RECORD SHOWS THAT
RUMSFELD
WAS SENT MEMOS IN REAL-TIME
ABOUT THE ACTUAL PLANNING, THE
ACTUAL ORDERS WERE TORTURE LIKE
THAT TO OCCUR AS A MATTER OF
U.S. POLICY AND ON PURPOSE.
ON THE MARGINS OF ONE MEMO THAT
SPELLED OUT PRISONERS IN U.S.
CUSTODY SHOULD BE TORTURED.
RUMS HELD HAND WROTE IN THE
MARGIN, I STAND FOR 8 TO 10
HOURS A DAY.
WHY IS STANDING LIMITED TO 4
HOURS.
WHY ARE THEY FORCING THESE
PRISONERS TO STAND FOR LONGER?
THIS DOESNT SEEM HARSH ENOUGH.
THERE IS ALSO THE MEMORABLE
MOMENT WHERE AMONG THE THOUSANDS
OF CONDOLENCE LETTERS SENT TO
SERVICEMEN AND SERVICEWOMEN
KILLED IN IRAQ, HE DID NOT FEEL
IT WAS NECESSARY TO SIGN HIS
NAME.
INSTEAD USED WHATS CALLED AN
AUTO MEN.
BASICALLY A MACHINE THAT RUBBER
STAMPED HIS NAME TO SIGN ALL THE
SUPPOSEDLY HEART FELT CONDOLENCE
LETTERS TO THE FAMILIES OF
AMERICAN SERVICE MEMBERS KILLED
IN ACTION IN IRAQ.
AS ROADSIDE BOMBS STARTED
KILLING AMERICAN SERVICE MEMBERS
BY THE DOZEN AND THEN BY THE
HUNDREDS AND THEN ULTIMATELY BY
THE THOUSANDS, SECRETARY
RUMSFELD
WAS ASKED WHY U.S. FORCES DIDNT
HAVE UP-TO-DATE BODY ARMOR, WHY
THERE WASNT MORE OF A RUSH TO
GET IT TO THEM.
HE REPLIED FAMOUSLY THAT YOU GO
TO THE ARMY YOU HAVE, NOT THE
ONE YOU WANT OR WISH TO HAVE,
IMPLIES NOT ONLY THAT WE DIDNT
HAVE THE ARMY THAT WE WANT, ALSO
IMPLYING THAT THE TIMING OF THAT
WAR SOMEHOW WASNT OUR CHOICE,
WASNT SOMEHOW HIS CHOICE AND
THE CHOICE OF THE OTHER SENIOR
OFFICIALS IN THE ADMINISTRATION
WHO MADE THAT DECISION TO INVADE
IRAQ BASED ON A FALSE PREMISE.
MADE UP THREATENING THINGS ABOUT
IRAQ THAT WERE NOT TRUE THAT
THEY INSISTED TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE WERE TRUE, TELLING THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT IRAQ HAD
TERRIBLE WEAPONS THAT IRAQ
DIDNT ACTUALLY HAVE.
TELLING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT
IRAQ WAS IN CAHOOTS WITH
AL-QAEDA WHEN THEY WERENT.
TELLING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT
IRAQ WAS POISED TO INVADE US OR
ATTACK US OR COME AFTER THE U.S.
IN SOME DEVASTATING WAY THAT WAS
IMMINENT.
NONE OF THAT WAS TRUE.
BUT NO ONE WAS AS ENTHUSIASTIC A
PROMOTER AS THE FALSE PRETEXT
FOR THAT WAR, NO ONE.
>> NO TERRORIST STATE POSES A
GREATER OR MORE IMMEDIATE THREAT
TO THE SECURITY OF OUR PEOPLE
AND THE STABILITY OF THE WORLD
THAN THE REGIME OF SADDAM
HUSSEIN AND IRAQ.
>> WE HAVE WHAT WE CONSIDER TO
BE CREDIBLE EVIDENCE THAT
AL-QAEDA LEADERS SOUGHT CONTACTS
IN IRAQ THAT COULD HELP THEM IE
QUIRE WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION CAPABILITIES.
>> DO YOU HAVE HARD EVIDENCE
THAT THEYRE IN IRAQ?
>> OH, THERE IS NO QUESTION
ABOUT THAT AL-QAEDA HAVE MOVED
THROUGH AND SOME HAVE STAYED.
>> THATS NOT JUST AN
ASSUMPTION, WE KNOW THAT?
>> I KNOW THAT.
>> IF SOMEONE IS WAITING FOR A
SO-CALLED SMOKING GUN, IT IS
CERTAIN WE WILL HAVE WAITED TOO
LONG.
>> WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE
STATEMENT MADE BY THE IRAQI
GOVERNMENT YESTERDAY THAT IRAQ
HAS NO WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION AND IS NOT
DEVELOPING ANY?
>> THEYRE LYING.
NEXT?
>> IT IS NOT KNOWABLE IF FORCE
WILL BE USED.
BUT IF IT IS TO BE USED, IT
COULD LAST, YOU KNOW, SIX DAYS,
SIX WEEKS.
I DOUBT SIX MONTHS.
>> I DOUBT SIX MONTHS.
WHO IS TELLING YOU A WAR IN IRAQ
MIGHT LAST SIX MONTHS.
WHO SAYING IT WILL GO THAT LONG.
TRY SIX DAYS.
DONALD RUMSFELD WAS ALSO A
MASTER AT UNUSUALLY SPECIFIC
LIES ABOUT THE MOST
CONSEQUENTIAL THINGS THAT LED TO
THAT WAR THAT ULTIMATELY COST
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES.
HE TOLD ABC NEWS, FOR EXAMPLE,
AFTER THE INVASION WHEN HE WAS
ASKED HOW COME THE WEAPONS OF
MASS DESTRUCTION YOU GUARANTEED
WERE THERE THEY HAVENT BEEN
FOUND?
HE INSISTED THAT NOT ONLY WERE
THERE WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION IN IRAQ THAT WERE
GOING TO BE FOUND, BUT HE KNEW
WHERE THEY WERE.
WE SAID, QUOTE, WE KNOW WHERE
THEY ARE.
THEYRE IN THE AREA AROUND
TIKRIT AND BAGHDAD AND EAST,
WEST, SOUTH AND NORTH SOMEWHAT.
DONALD RUMSFELD HAS DIED TODAY
AT THE AGE OF 88.
HE DID NOT DIE AT HIS HOME AT
MOUNT MISERY, WHICH WAS THE
SLAVE BREAKING SITE OF THE
LIFE-CHANGING AND WORLD-CHANGING
TORTURE OF FEDREDERICK DOUGLAS,