2021-07-01 12:02:24

“He Was a Disaster”: Ret. Col. Andrew Bacevich on Donald Rumsfeld’s Legacy as Architect of Iraq War

Donald Rumsfeld, considered the chief architect of the Iraq War, has died at the age of 88. As defense secretary for both Presidents George W. Bush and Gerald Ford, Rumsfeld presided, his critics say, over systemic torture, massacres of civilians and illegal wars.

DN looks at Rumsfeld’s legacy with retired Colonel Andrew Bacevich, whose son was killed in Iraq. Bacevich is the president of the antiwar think tank the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.

He says the Iraq War should be the most important item inscribed on Rumsfeld’s headstone.

“He was a disaster,” Bacevich says. “He was a catastrophically bad and failed defense secretary who radically misinterpreted the necessary response to 9/11, and therefore caused almost immeasurable damage to our country, to Iraq, to the Persian Gulf, more broadly.”

Democracy Now! produces a daily, global, independent news hour hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González. lOur reporting includes breaking daily news headlines and in-depth interviews with people on the front lines of the world’s most pressing issues. 

On DN!, you’ll hear a diversity of voices speaking for themselves, providing a unique and sometimes provocative perspective on global events.

Missed an episode?  Check out DN on FSTV VOD anytime or visit the show page for the latest clips.

#FreeSpeechTV is one of the last standing national, independent news networks committed to advancing progressive social change. 

#FSTV is available on Dish, DirectTV, AppleTV, Roku, Sling, and online at freespeech.org.

Amy Goodman Colonel Andrew Bacevich Democracy Now! Donald Rumsfeld Free Speech TV George W. Bush Gerald Ford Iraq War Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft

Politics

The Rick Smith Show

The Rick Smith Show | An All-Out Assault on Organized Labor

The Rick Smith Show | An All-Out Assault on Organized Labor

FSTV Speaks

FSTV Speaks | Join the Fifty Fifty One Movement!

FSTV Speaks | Join the Fifty Fifty One Movement!

BreakThrough News

BreakThrough News | Whoever Controls the Congo, Controls the World

BreakThrough News | Whoever Controls the Congo, Controls the World

The Randi Rhodes' Show

The Randi Rhodes Show | Businesses are Losing Their Minds

The Randi Rhodes Show | Businesses are Losing Their Minds

Related

Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! | Federal Workers Fight Back!

Democracy Now! | Federal Workers Fight Back!

Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! | USAID Shutdown? Elon Musk Claims Trump Agreed to Dismantle Agency

Democracy Now! | USAID Shutdown? Elon Musk Claims Trump Agreed to Dismantle Agency

The Thom Hartmann Program

The Thom Hartmann Program | Does the Left Needs its own Media Ecosystem?

The Thom Hartmann Program | Does the Left Needs its own Media Ecosystem?

The Thom Hartmann Program

The Thom Hartmann Program | American Society Used to Benefit from the Wealthy

The Thom Hartmann Program | American Society Used to Benefit from the Wealthy

Proud Partners