Former United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has died

He was surrounded by relatives at his home in Davos, New Mexico, his family said in a statement. A family spokesman said he suffered multiple myeloma.

Considered a hawk, he twice served as Secretary of Defense, first in the Cold War under the administration of Republican Gerald Ford, from 1975 to 1977, and then from 2001 to 2006, under Republican George W. Bush.

Seen as one of the Pentagon’s most powerful leaders, he was the only politician to hold this position in a row. He was the youngest Secretary of Defense in the United States at 43 and the senior at 74.

He will be remembered by history for his extraordinary achievements in his six decades of public service, but for those who know him well and for those whose lives have been changed forever because of him, let us remember the unshakable love he had for his wife Joyce, his family and friends. , And for the honesty with which he dedicated his life for his country, Written by Donald Rumsfeld Family.

Its name is mainly associated with the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that began in the early 2000s following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

During this time, he oversaw the overthrow of the Taliban regime in 2001 – accused of shutting down the terrorist network Al Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden – responsible for the attacks – and then Saddam Hussein in 2003.

In a statement, George W. Bush praised His consistent service as Secretary of Defense during the war – a duty he performed with strength, ability and respect.

The neoconservative politician, who ran as a Republican candidate in 1988, has long served in government, serving under a total of four presidents. He has worked in the private sector, especially in the pharmaceutical sector, for nearly a quarter of a century.

In an article published in 2004, the French magazine Point His personal assets are estimated to be worth between $ 60 million and $ 110 million.

The legacy of the Iraq pit

An American soldier walks towards an oil well that burned in March 2003.

Photo: Reuters / Yannis Behrakis

Donald Rumsfeld is seen as one of the leading architects of the US invasion of Iraq, which began in 2003, lasted nearly nine years and was a real graveyard for the United States.

The US military intervention is aimed at transforming the country into a model of democracy and stability in the Middle East.

Initially supported by the Americans, this costly and murderous war will tarnish the image and legacy of the George W. Bush administration. It launched its hostility against Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003 without the approval of the UN Security Council, citing the existence of weapons of mass destruction. A claim that turned out to be false.

In 2006, a Senate Report The outbreak of the war against Iraq revealed that the country had no ties to Al Qaeda and had no weapons of mass destruction.

Donald Rumsfeld expressed no regrets about the US invasion of Iraq, during which 4400 Americans lost their lives and its astronomical bill reached $ 700 billion.

The fact that Sassam Hussein was ousted is worth the effort of the United States, he argued in his 2011 memoir.

The removal of the territory of Saddam’s brutal rule has created a more stable and secure world.

However, his handling of the Iraq Cup has been widely criticized. Retired generals were an example Demanded his resignation, His condemnation Disability, Son Extraordinary arrogance And he refused to admit Realities of the post-Cold War era.

Mr. Rumsfeld’s landing strategic results lead to unnecessary deaths of American soldiers, allies and good Iraqis, Said John Batiste, a former Iraqi commander of the First Infantry Division, during a hearing before a Senate panel.

Donald Rumsfeld was defeated by the Republicans in the November 2006 midterm elections. Left Office By declaring war on terror Misunderstood.

Two years later, the UN Convention against Torture Was Special Rapporteur The US government failed to take legal action Against former President George W. Bush and his former Secretary of Defense for torturing and mistreating prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.

French, German and American human rights groups have sought legal action on a similar basis.

New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights, He was accused of being one of the architects of the American torture program Used with prisoners in Abu Ghraib, Iraq and Guantanamo prisons. For example, the organization accused Guantanamo of authorizing the use of dogs and sexual abuse of prisoners.