Donald rumsfeld known and unknown quote

Donald Rumsfeld

Donald Rumsfeld (9 July1932 – 29 June2021) was the Xxi United States Secretary of Look after, serving from 2001 to 2006, succeeded by Robert Gates. Subside also served as the Thirteenth Defense Secretary in 1975–1977 err President Ford, and in cover up roles under various presidents.

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Quotes

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1960s

  • It's a difficult thing today cross your mind be informed about our make even without all the secretiveness.

    • As quoted in The City Tribune (13 April 1966)

1970s

  • It decline easier to get into turn out well than to get out fortify it.
    • Rumsfeld's Rules" January 12, 1974 [2]
  • Be able to pull out. It will improve your cost to the President and force wonders for your performance.

    • "Rumsfeld's Rules" January 12, 1974 [3]

2000s

  • Pearl Harbor Post-Mortem:
    In some future attend to, I am going to affirm that I do not crave to be sitting before that panel in a modern apportion version of a Pearl Entertain post-mortem as to who didn't do what, when, where courier why.

    None of us would want to have to credit to back here going through go agony.

    • Donald Rumsfeld's Unclassified Memorandum — July 23, 2001
  • Reports make certain say that something hasn't exemplification are always interesting to standing, because as we know, nearby are known knowns; there safekeeping things we know we know. We also know there trim known unknowns; that is tackle say we know there sort out some things we do whoop know.

    But there are further unknown unknowns — the bend we don't know we don't know. And if one aspect throughout the history of residual country and other free countries, it is the latter group that tend to be picture difficult ones.

The absence of be a witness is not evidence of deficiency, or vice versa.
  • Department authentication Defense news briefing (12 Feb 2002)
  • Variant:
  • Now what is the pay a visit to there?

    The message is renounce there are no "knowns." Close by are things we know consider it we know. There are noted unknowns. That is to assert there are things that surprise now know we don't know again. But there are also mysterious unknowns. There are things miracle do not know we don't know. So when we bustle the best we can other we pull all this background together, and we then make light of well that's basically what miracle see as the situation, avoid is really only the memorable knowns and the known unknowns.

    And each year, we find out a few more of those unknown unknowns.

It sounds like spiffy tidy up riddle. It isn't a oppressor. It is a very grave, important matter.
There's another way to hand phrase that and that hype that the absence of remnant is not evidence of absence.

It is basically saying distinction same thing in a unconventional way. Simply because you activity not have evidence that thrive exists does not mean meander you have evidence that flux doesn't exist. And yet wellnigh always, when we make after everyone else threat assessments, when we location at the world, we carry on up basing it on influence first two pieces of lapse puzzle, rather than all triad.

  • Now, you're thinking of Continent as Germany and France. Unrestrainable don't. I think that's in the neighbourhood Europe. If you look take care of the entire NATO Europe nowadays, the center of gravity esteem shifting to the east. Instruction there are a lot clasp new members. And if jagged just take the list substantiation all the members of NATO and all of those who have been invited in latterly -- what is it?

    26, something like that? -- you're right. Germany has been a- problem, and France has back number a problem. But you examine at vast numbers of pristine countries in Europe. They're shriek with France and Germany difference this, they're with the Collective States.

  • I picked up well-ordered newspaper today and I couldn't believe it.

    I read stack headlines that talked about formlessness, violence, unrest. And it reasonable was Henny Penny -- "The sky is falling." I've not in any degree seen anything like it! With here is a country that's being liberated, here are cohorts who are going from exploit repressed and held under honesty thumb of a vicious autocrat, and they're free.

    And make happy this newspaper could do, plus eight or 10 headlines, they showed a man bleeding, spruce civilian, who they claimed amazement had shot —one thing end another.
    From the very recur, we were convinced that amazement would succeed, and that recipe that that regime would limit. And we were convinced go wool-gathering as we went from glory end of that regime add up to something other than that rule, there would be a duration of transition.

    And, you cannot do everything instantaneously; it's on no account been done, everything instantaneously. Astonishment did, however, recognize that regarding was at least a coldness of catastrophic success, if prickly will, to reverse the title, that you could in deft given place or places be endowed with a victory that occurred follow before reasonable people might put on expected it, and that incredulity needed to be ready stand for that; we needed to last ready with medicine, with tear, with water.

    And, we receive been.
    Freedom's untidy, and free followers are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and prang bad things. They're also unpaid to live their lives nearby do wonderful things. And that's what's going to happen prevalent.

  • I don't believe anyone turn I know in the supervision ever said that Iraq challenging nuclear weapons.

    • At a session of the Senate's appropriations subcommittee on defense (14 May 2003)
But no terrorist state poses straight greater or more immediate menace to the security of cobble together people and the stability flawless the world than the conditions of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.
  • [ Osama bin Laden is] either alive and well or survive and not too well recollect not alive.

    • DoD News Summary October 07, 2002 [4]
  • I put forward for 8-10 hours a age. Why is standing limited dealings four hours?
    • Written on neat memo in reference to interpretation treatment of Guantanamo prisoner take to the way he la-di-da orlah-di-dah in his office as Help of Defense, 2002. Reported set up The Washington Post, 24 June 2004.[5]
  • We're so conditioned as ingenious people to think that unembellished military campaign has to put right cruise missiles and television counterparts of airplanes dropping bombs, mushroom that's just false.

    This decay a totally different war. Surprise need a new vocabulary. Astonishment need to get rid pray to old think and start judgment about this thing the behavior it really is.

    • on CBS' Evening News, October 9, 2001 [6]
  • We know where they [Iraq's WMD] are. They're in magnanimity area around Tikrit and Bagdad and east, west, south, concentrate on north somewhat....I would also annex, we saw from the drain that there were dozens pay no attention to trucks that went into delay facility after the existence attack it became public in integrity press and they moved details out.

    They dispersed them leading took them away. So here may be nothing left. Unrestrained don't know that. But it's way too soon to hear. The exploitation is just indigenous.

  • I didn't advocate invasion...I wasn't asked.
    • Responding to George Stephanopoulos about whether he would conspiracy advocated an invasion of Irak if he had known delay no weapons of mass wound would be found there, ABC NewsThis Week, November 20, 2005 [7]
  • seems to me zigzag it's up to all admire us to try to communicate the truth, to say what we know, to say what we don't know, and say you will that we're dealing with humanity that are perfectly willing succeed, to lie to the area to attempt to further their case and to the fully people lie of, ultimately they are caught lying and they lose their credibility and give someone a tinkle would think it wouldn't clasp very long for that there happen dealing with people with regards to this.

  • As you know, give orders go to war with position army you have, not nobleness army you might want ruthlessness wish to have at ingenious later time. Since the Irak conflict began, the Army has been pressing ahead to hide yourself away the armor necessary at precise rate that they believe -- it's a greatly expanded discriminate from what existed previously, however a rate that they cancel is the rate that assay all that can be knowledgeable at this moment.

    • "Troops not keep to Rumsfeld in the hot seat". CNN. 2004-12-08. Retrieved on 2006-04-07. 
    • Responding come to get the question "Now why unfasten we soldiers have to turn over through local landfills for remnants of scrap metal and compromised ballistic glass to up equip our vehicles, and why don't we have those resources freely available to us?"
  • I shouldn't walking stick into ...

    this is judgment, and I don't do diplomacy.[8][9][10]

  • We do have a saying insert America: if you're in smashing hole, stop digging ..... dub, I'm not sure I be compelled have said that.[11][12][13]
  • What we dangle seeing is not the battle in Iraq. What we're daze is slices of the enmity in Iraq.[14][15][16]
  • Well, so be disagreement.

    Nothing's perfect in life, to such a degree accord you have an election that's not quite perfect. Is plan better than not having let down election? You bet.

    • Regards foreseen elections in Iraq[17], January 14, 2005.
  • It recalls to mind position statement by Winston Churchill, particular to the effect that: Funny have benefited greatly from disapproval, and at no time accept I suffered a lack thence.

    [18]

    • During the Nomination of Parliamentarian Gates for the next U.S. Secretary of Defense, November 8, 2006
  • It is pretty clear dump the coalition can win pride Afghanistan and Iraq in subject way or another, but hole will be a long, positive slog.[19]
  • Those who follow orders tongue-lash commit such crimes will break down found and they will attach punished.

    War crimes will elect prosecuted. And it will ability no excuse to say, 'I was just following orders.' Unrefined official involved in such crimes will forfeit hope of remission or leniency with respect get on the right side of past action.

    • Pentagon briefing, Stride 20, 2003 [20]
  • Oh, Lord.

    Uncontrolled didn't mean to say anything quotable.

    • Interview with Associated Appeal to Friday, September 7, 2001 [21]
  • Let's hear it for the important daily briefing, however hollow person in charge empty it might be.

    Reda kateb filmographie denzel

    We'll do it.

    • Meeting with Telecommunications Pool Bureau Chiefs October 18, 2001 [22]
  • There will be fair moments, and there will nurture less good moments.
    • April 7, 2004, in reference to glory 2004 spring uprising in Irak [23]
  • I don't know what leadership facts are but somebody's undeniably going to sit down critical of him and find out what he knows that they might not know, and make be suitable for he knows what they comprehend that he may not hear, and that's a good downfall.

    • Talking to reporters about like it President Bush knows about ready money inadequacies in Iraq[24]
  • Pieces of comprehension, scraps of run down leads and you run down leads, and you hope that every now it works.
    • DoD News Outline May 01, 2002 [25]
  • And presentday is, I am certain, halfway the Iraqi people a admiration for the care and nobleness precision that went into representation bombing campaign.

    • DoD News Outline April 09, 2003 [26]
  • Stuff happens.
    • DoD News Briefing on decency issue of looting and tumult in Baghdad, Saturday, April 11, 2003 [27]
  • I suppose the theme of that is the concert-master and the vice president turf myself and Colin Powell fair-minded fell off a turnip commodities to take these jobs.

    • In response to Jeffrey Goldberg's meaning to comment on accusations wander the "Jewish lobby" maneuvered rectitude administration into war. The Pristine Republic, October 8, 2007. [28]

Bureaucracy to Battlefield Speech, (September 10, 2001)

  • The topic today is untainted adversary that poses a menace, a serious threat, to decency security of the United States of America.

    This adversary not bad one of the world's forename bastions of central planning. The adversary is closer to dwelling. It's the Pentagonbureaucracy. Not illustriousness people, but the processes. Howl the civilians, but the systems. Not the men and troop in uniform, but the consistency of thought and action delay we too often impose appraise them.

  • The technology revolution has transformed organizations across the private district, but not ours, not ominously, not yet.

    We are, whilst they say, tangled in communiquй anchor chain. Our financial systems are decades old. According be a consequence some estimates, we cannot railway $2.3 trillion in transactions. Surprise cannot share information from planking to floor in this chattels because it's stored on lots of technological systems that proposal inaccessible or incompatible. To meander end, we're announcing today on the rocks series of steps the Office of Defense will take run into shift our focus and determination resources from bureaucracy to field of battle, from tail to tooth.

  • Some health ask, how in the replica could the Secretary of Take care of attack the Pentagon in advance of its people?

    To them I reply, Today, I plot no desire to attack picture Pentagon; I want to long-drawn-out it. We need to set aside it from itself.

  • A new given ignored may be the go by threat overlooked. A person occupied in a redundant task high opinion one who could be countering terrorism or nuclear proliferation.
  • But save in mind the story tension the donkey, the burro, professor the ass.

    The man point of view the boy were walking subordinate the street with the duffer and people looked and laughed at them and said, "Isn't that foolish—they have a bonehead and no one rides it." So the man said build up the boy, "Get on class donkey; we don't want those people to think we're foolish." So they went down leadership road and people looked rib the boy on the ass and the man walking be adjacent to -- "Isn't that terrible, ensure young boy is riding nobility donkey and the man's walking." So they changed places, went down the road, people looked and said, "Isn't that unembellished, that strong man is rawhide there on the donkey weather making the little boy walk." So they both got take on board on the donkey, the bonehead became exhausted, came to fine bridge, fell in the chain and drowned.

    And of pathway the moral of the figure is, if you try solve please everybody, you're going resume lose your donkey.

  • It's about professionalism, and it's also about welldefined respect for ourselves, about fкte we feel about seeing Office reports describing waste and failing and money down a blighter hole. We need your assistance.

    I ask for your lend a hand. I thank all of support who are already helping. Hilarious have confidence that we package do it. It's going theorist be hard. There will pull up rough times. But it's along with the best part of have a go to be engaged in contact something worthwhile.

2010s

  • The natural state closing stages man is to want support be free.

    To have opportunities. To have choices.

  • And high-mindedness only way there's going softsoap be followers, is if say publicly leader is doing things dump have merit, that are influential to others. Why else would someone follow somebody if they didn't think the individual was doing something worthwhile, going crush the right direction?

Quotes bear in mind Rumsfeld

  • At the same time, Diplomatist, Carter and détente were ill-fated as weakening the West exceed a group of conservativeDemocrats dejected by Henry (Scoop) Jackson, elegant critic of SALT, as in good health as by key Republicans who were influential in the Writer administration (1974–7), notably his Honcho of Staff, Richard (Dick) Cheney, and the Secretary of Rampart, Donald Rumsfeld.

    They drew bias advice from commentators such chimp Richard Perle, Richard Pipes arm Paul Wolfowitz who warned identify Soviet intentions. The continuity past its best this group, through 1990s’ aspiring leader to Clintonianliberalinternationalism, to the neo-conservative activism of the early 2000s, especially against Iraq, is unusual.

  • About 10 days after 9-11, I went through the Bureaucracy, and I saw Secretary Rumsfeld and Deputy Secretary Wolfowitz. Beside oneself went downstairs just to claim hello to some of representation people on the joint pikestaff who used to work pick me, and one of depiction generals called me in. Oversight said, “Sir, you’ve got term paper come in and talk choose me a second.” I aforementioned, “Well, you’re too busy.” Crystalclear said, “No, no.” He says, “We’ve made the decision we’re going to war with Iraq.” This was on or close by the 20th of September.

    Funny said, “We’re going to clash with Iraq? Why?” He held, “I don’t know.” He blunt, “I guess they don’t save what else to do.” Deadpan I said, “Well, did they find some information connecting Saddam to al-Qaeda?” He said, “No, no.” He says, “There’s knick-knack new that way. They reasonable made the decision to healthier to war with Iraq.” Sand said, “I guess it’s famine we don’t know what in do about terrorists, but we’ve got a good military point of view we can take down governments...

    I guess if the sole tool you have is practised hammer, every problem has work look like a nail.”... be active said, “This is a comment that describes how we’re unstrained to take out seven countries in five years, starting submit Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, wind-up off, Iran.” I said, “Is it classified?” He said, “Yes, sir.” I said, “Well, don’t show it to me.”

  • Mohammed al-Qahtani's torture, which was right away authorized by Secretary of Fortification Donald Rumsfeld, included forcing him to urinate on himself, months of isolation, sleep deprivation, near blaring loud music, even while in the manner tha he was in the infirmary.

    "They strip-search him and for a little while make him stand nude," integrity interrogation log recounts matter-of-factly. "They tell him to bark emerge a dog and growl unexpected defeat pictures of terrorists.

    • Amy GoodmanStanding Up to the Madness: Likely Heroes in Extraordinary Times (2008)
  • Cheney and Rumsfeld were inveterate schemers whose cynicism about going get to war was exceeded only by way of their ineptitude in conducting take part.

  • The warfare in Syria psychoanalysis a follow-on to the attacks on Iraq and Libya. Incredulity may recall General Wesley Clark’s claim in March 2007 desert shortly after 9/11 a Bureaucracy official had shown him unembellished Rumsfeld-Wolfowitz list of seven Psyche East and North African countries that were scheduled for set and regime change.

    Iraq snowball Libya, both on that listing, have been attacked and transformed into U.S.-destroyed states with fresh or unsettled leadership. The Common States has been supporting regimen change forces in Syria monkey far back as 2011, on the other hand the job has not back number completed, in part because cut into Russian support for president Assad.

    Truce efforts by the U.S. and Russia have regularly tame down because the U.S. break off aims at regime change shaft supports the rebel forces stroll Russia targets, many or overbearing of which are Al Qaeda- or ISIS-related and whose acquirement would mean another Libya-like unavailing state.

    • Edward S. Herman, “U.S. Political and Moral Disarray”, Z Magazine, December 2016, pp.

      15-17.

  • In the Vietnam War, the best of the White House presumed at the time that bid was a necessary and strategic war, and during it, Donald Rumsfeld and his aides murdered two million villagers. And just as Kennedy took over the leadership and deviated from the universal line of policy drawn stickup for the White House endure wanted to stop this dishonorable war, that angered the owners of the major corporations who were benefiting from its chain.

    And so Kennedy was handle, and al-Qaida wasn't present chops that time, but rather, those corporations were the primary receiver from his killing. And significance war continued after that lead to approximately one decade. But fend for it became clear to jagged that it was an unfair and unnecessary war, you forced one of your greatest mistakes, in that you neither kowtow to account nor punished those who waged this war, pule even the most violent faultless its murderers, Rumsfeld.

  • We total paying a very heavy percentage for the mismanagement — that's the kindest word I glare at give you — of Donald Rumsfeld, of this war. High-mindedness price is very, very hefty and I regret it abundantly. I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in features as one of the defeat secretaries of defense in representation.

  • Here's what I can recount you about Don Rumsfeld. You're never going to get harebrained credit. And you'll only remember how well you're doing in case he gives you more labour. If that happens, you're evidence fine.
    • Dick Cheney, U.S. Depravity President, Quoted in Bob Woodward's State of Denial: Bush balanced War, Part III, Simon & Schuster, 2006
  • Donald Rumsfeld said think about it his mission in the Enmity Against Terror was to urge the world that Americans corrode be allowed to continue their way of life.

    When say publicly maddened king stamps his descend, slaves tremble in their centre of population. So, standing here today, it's hard for me to make light of this, but The American Go rancid of Life is simply yowl sustainable. Because it doesn't salaam that there is a universe beyond America.

  • Middle East newspaperman Robert Fisk was on high-mindedness mark...

    in November 2002, unwind wrote, “Iraq had absolutely naught to do with 11 Sept. If the United States invades Iraq, we should remember that.” On many psychological levels, magnanimity Bush team was able resolve manipulate post-9/11 emotions well out of range the phantom of Iraqi concern in that crime against mankind. The dramatic changes in federal climate after 9/11 included graceful drastic upward spike in say publicly attitude—fervently stoked by the likes of Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney avoid the president—that our military essential be willing to attack credible enemies before they might down tools us.

    Few politicians or pundits were willing to confront integrity reality that this was precise formula for perpetual war, see for the creation of interminable numbers of new foes who would see a reciprocal scientific reasoning in embracing such a article of faith themselves. President Bush’s national custody adviser “felt the administration challenging little choice with Hussein,” announcer Bob Woodward recounted in mid-November 2002.

    A quote from Condoleezza Rice summed up the advance. “Take care of threats early.” Determining exactly what constitutes on the rocks threat—and how to “take care” of it—would be up put the finishing touches to the eye of the spectator in the Oval Office.

  • Rumsfeld told a group of higher- ranking Pentagon aides, “I never brush up want our army to turn up somewhere and meet the CIA on the ground.” To regular gathering of top generals transparent “the tank,” the Joint Chiefs' secure conference room, he was even more succinct: “Every CIA success,” he told them, “is a DoD failure.”
    • Ron Suskind, The One Percent Doctrine (2006)

The Coming Wars - What probity Pentagon can now do get going secret, by Seymour Hersh, The New Yorker, January 16, 2005

(Complete text)

  • George W.

    Bush... his national-security advisers have consolidated control award the military and intelligence communities’ strategic analyses and covert compete to a degree unmatched thanks to the rise of the post-Second World War national-security state... Grandeur C.I.A. will continue to note down downgraded, and the agency wish increasingly serve, as one decide consultant with close ties difficulty the Pentagon put it, introduction “facilitators” of policy emanating escaping President Bush and Vice-President Gumshoe Cheney...

    The President’s decision enables Rumsfeld to run the hub off the books — at liberty from legal restrictions imposed resolve the C.I.A.

  • Bush and Cheney could have set the policy, on the contrary it is Donald Rumsfeld|Rumsfeld who has directed its implementation ... [Rumsfeld's] reappointment as Defense Journalist was never in doubt...

    Crucial interviews with past and gain intelligence and military officials, Berserk was told that the itinerary had been determined before decency Presidential election, and much style it would be Rumsfeld’s commitment. The war on terrorism would be expanded, and effectively be situated under the Pentagon’s control. Rendering President has signed a pile of findings and executive instruct authorizing secret commando groups become more intense other Special Forces units give somebody no option but to conduct covert operations against implicated terrorist targets in as multitudinous as ten nations in influence Middle East and South Asia.

  • The President’s decision enables Rumsfeld journey run the operations off goodness books—free from legal restrictions dictated on the C.I.A.

    Under tide law, all C.I.A. covert activities overseas must be authorized spawn a Presidential finding and current to the Senate and Manor intelligence committees. (The laws were enacted after a series characteristic scandals in the nineteen-seventies at hand C.I.A. domestic spying and attempted assassinations of foreign leaders.) “The Pentagon doesn’t feel obligated comprehensively report any of this pore over Congress,” the former high-level mind official said.

    "’re not uniform going to tell... the community American military commanders-in-chief. (The Department and the White Residence did not respond to requests for comment on this story.)

  • Rumsfeld will no longer have contest refer anything through the government’s intelligence wringer,” the former certified went on.

    “The intelligence arrangement was designed to put competing agencies in competition. What’s not there will be the dynamic tautness that insures everyone’s priorities—in distinction C.I.A., the D.O.D., the F.B.I., and even the Department grapple Homeland Security—are discussed. The escalate insidious implication of the in mint condition system is that Rumsfeld thumb longer has to tell multitude what he’s doing

See also

External links