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Donald Rumsfeld's Memoir, 'Known and Unknown,' Due Out in January

1 year ago
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Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's memoirs will be published in January, AP reports, and the newly announced title carries the echo of his controversial six years under George W. Bush.

"Known and Unknown," being published by Sentinel (an imprint of Penguin), refers to Rumsfeld's explanation in 2002 for the lack of evidence that Iraq was supplying terrorists with weapons of mass destruction.

"Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because, as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know that we know," he said. "There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we do not know we don't know."

Donald RumsfeldA statement from Sentinel said Rumsfeld, 78, will write about his childhood and political career, including stints as a Republican congressman from Illinois in the 1960s, secretary of defense under President Gerald Ford and again under Bush. Rumsfeld resigned after the 2006 midterm elections, when Republicans lost control of Congress.

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13 Comments

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vicbar88

History shows us who knew what and did what and when and who knew what and did nothing and when, and who knew nothing and did something, and of course who knew nothing and did nothing. Neither party nor one single administration has a monopoloy on corruption, bad decisions, lame policy. So when you are casting your blame be sure to look back at all the evidence, not just what fits your own agenda.

September 22 2010 at 10:23 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
WORLD WIDE WHEEL

I Don't blame the GOP , I blame the Democrat. I Wrote to J. Kerry in 2001, YOU KNOW THE TRUTH, AMIRECA STARVING FOR HERROES BE THE HERO,, STAND UP AGAINST THE WAR,,YOU WILL LOOSE THIS ELLECTION ,, BUT IN 2008 ,,,AMIRECA WILL REIALIZE THAT EVERY BODY WAS WRONG,THE WAR WAS WRONG,( EXCCEPT FOR YOU ),,THEN YOU WILL WIN 2008. The moment they said; Who ever not with us he is against us,,,that was threat to every body,,,I SWEAR THEY NEW ( Exclude Powell when they stained her reputation at the UN ),,,THE VP AKING THE CIA to MAKE A CONNECTION BETWEEN Saddam and AL Qaeda,,,, They are retiring,, leaving,,100s of 1000s in IRAQ DEAD, and 4000+ American family in pain,, accountability ???? Now watch the Same with Iran,,, LET'S ASK WHO'S BEHIND THESE FALLS INTELLEGENCE INFO,,

September 20 2010 at 8:17 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
tplapper

"Shock and Awe"? Had Rumsfeld ever served in a combat capacity he would know what shock and awe was. Just another Secretary of Defense who never served in combat.

September 20 2010 at 6:07 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to tplapper's comment
wylecote

Yes, I believe he was an Air Force Piolt during the Korean War, or in that time frame.

September 20 2010 at 6:57 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
Tom

Let's all remember that it was Rummy who could have put bin Laden away when he not only met with him but also supplied him with arms when Reagan was in office.

September 20 2010 at 5:56 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
ptleftie

"You go to war with what you have, now what you want". No Secretary of Defense should EVER say that, unless he wants to be remembered as a bad one.

September 20 2010 at 12:16 PM Report abuse +6 rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to ptleftie's comment
wolfsonnydiane

I would have reminded him we went to war at a place and time of our choosing he failed to choose wisely

September 20 2010 at 12:35 PM Report abuse +8 rate up rate down Reply
wylecote

The same people who complain about that comment don't complain when Obama claims he inherited all the problems. PLus Rummy's comment was in response to a question, about military preparedness for asyemetrical warfare. The US military doctrine was to fight a conventional war against the Soviet Union, not a mountainous war in Afganistan, or engage in nation building.

September 20 2010 at 6:59 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
ptleftie

I recall an account about him where he hated having to leave his first SecDef job. That's what happens when your President loses an election, Don.

September 20 2010 at 11:42 AM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
rahgolf

Mostly the "Unknown"! Remember when he forgot he was the SECDEF and he said you go to war with the Army you have. It was like he didn't know the current readiness of his forces as that was someone elses job.

September 20 2010 at 11:03 AM Report abuse +4 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to rahgolf's comment
wylecote

He knew exactly what the readiness was. But he was stuck with 8 years of less armor, lighter forces, less airlift capacity, and the slow to change buracracy in the Pentagon that takes decades to get things done. Also he was hamprered by Generals who are constantly fighting the last war.

September 20 2010 at 7:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jsmith3244

'Known and Unknown' should be interesting. Known: Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 911, Sadam Hussein had no ties to bin Laden, Saddam Hussein had no ties to al Qaeda, al Qaeda was not in Iraq prior to the US invasion, the US attack against Iraq was a formulated and manipulated scenario devised by W's Neo-Conservatives trying desperately to right their wrong when under Reagan they aided and assisted Saddam Hussein against Iran and Iraq had nothing to do with 911. Unknown: When the Republicans will stop lying about the build up and selling of the Iraqi War to the American People, why Republicans refuse to acknowledge their diplomatic mistakes and why, after sacrificing 4000+ American lives on Iraqi desert sands, Republicans still will not reconcile their lies to the American People and tell the truth....ever!

September 20 2010 at 10:04 AM Report abuse +20 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to jsmith3244's comment
ernestvalerius

A factual succinct posting.

September 20 2010 at 12:49 PM Report abuse +8 rate up rate down Reply

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