Liberal Forum

Blackvegetable » 23 Jan 2026, 5:27 pm » wrote: ↑

23 Jan 2026, 5:27 pm

A bare two weeks after the attacks of September 11, at the end of a long and emotional day at the White House, a sixty-nine-year-old politician and businessman—a midwesterner, born of modest means but grown wealthy and prominent and powerful—returned to his enormous suite of offices on the seventh floor of the flood-lit and wounded Pentagon and, as was his habit, scrawled out a memorandum on his calendar: 

Interesting day—NSC mtg. with President—As [it] ended he asked to see me alone…After the meeting ended I went to Oval Office—He was aloneHe was at his desk—He talked about the meetThen he said I want you to develop a plan to invade Ir[aq]. Do it outside the normal channels. Do it creatively so we don’t have to take so much cover [?] 

Then he said Dick [Cheney] told me about your son—I broke down and cried. I couldn’t speak—said I love him so muchHe said I can’t imagine the burden you are carrying for the country and your son—He said much more.Stood and hugged meAn amazing day—He is a fine human being—I am so grateful he is President.I am proud to be working for him.

https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2013/12/19/rumsfelds-war-and-its-consequences-now/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=December%203%202013&utm_content=December%203%202013+CID_0f499f28b68d7642ed57c93bf0bc9c06&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=Rumsfelds%20War%20and%20Its%20Consequences%20Now