Rumsfeld on the Arab revolution: It could go either way

Posted By Josh Rogin Monday, February 14, 2011 - 8:34 PM Share

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, in an exclusive interview with The Cable, credited the Bush administration's Freedom Agenda with setting the stage for the current wave of revolutions sweeping the Arab world. But he also warned that Egypt and the other countries in the region could easily slip into the hands of repressive groups that have been lying in wait.

"That region does not have a long proud history of free political institutions, free economic institutions, and democracy," Rumsfeld said. "What President Bush has done in Iraq and Afghanistan is to give the people in those countries a chance to have freer political systems and freer economic systems. There's no question that the example is helpful in the region."

But now, several years later, nominally pro-Western movements throughout the Middle East have been defeated by repressive and authoritarian organizations -- a situation that could very well repeat itself in Egypt with the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood, Rumsfeld said, because those groups tend to be better organized and more vicious.

"So while what's happening is hopeful, all of us have to be realistic and hope the process is one, that unlike Lebanon, unlike Gaza, and unlike Iran, does not end up bringing people's hopes up and then dashed with a repressive regime," Rumsfeld said.

Rumsfeld criticized the Obama administration's mixed messaging during the Egypt crisis, specifically referencing the State Department's decision to send Frank Wisner as an unofficial envoy to Cairo. The Obama administration was subsequently forced to distance itself from Wisner when he publicly called for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to stay in power only days later.

"I think it's unfortunate that they appointed Frank Wisner and then within a matter of hours got cross waves between the Department of State, the White House, and their special envoy. Clearly that weakens our voice to have mixed signals," Rumsfeld said.

Regarding the role of the Egyptian military, which now has effective control of the government in Cairo, Rumsfeld said that it may or may not turn out to be a responsible steward of power and the transition to free and fair elections.

"If one had to put some money down, you would want odds, but I would take the odds favoring that [the Egyptian military] would behave in a positive and constructive way," Rumsfeld said. "One has to say that managing this process is not going to be easy."

Rumsfeld said that he believes the tidal wave of change sweeping the Arab world presents the United States with an opportunity to increase its support for the opposition movement in Iran.

"I hope there are a variety of things taking place in our government, in some instances appropriately public but in some instances private ... and that the examples that we are seeing elsewhere in the region, I would hope we would encourage in Iran," he said.

Rumsfeld has over 40 years of experience dealing with Egypt and the Arab world. In his new memoir Known and Unknown, he recounts the first time he met then Vice President Mubarak, in June 1975. At the time, Rumsfeld was serving as chief of staff to President Gerald Ford. "On a personal level, I found him animated, even ebullient," Rumsfeld wrote.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

EXPLORE:MIDDLE EAST, BUSH ADMINISTRATION, DEMOCRACY, EGYPT, U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
 

BILL KELLER

2:41 AM ET

February 15, 2011

Seeking the God who no longer remembers..

...believe it took about 60 years of Babylonian captivity for the last rascals in the Middle East to gain that. This old Flying Dutchman will roam among the ghosts of the unkown unknowns in bookstores to vacant lots for another three score. He will never really righted by the ballast of ethics or wisdom. God will eventually not recognize either him or his works in the faded cries from his gulags

 

VIA

6:27 AM ET

February 15, 2011

Thank you Mr. Rumsfeld

Thank you Mr. Rumsfeld for your service. You are in no way a hedging, self-serving, arrogant, disingenuous, deluded arms peddlar and coddler of friendly dictators (when convenient). You are brilliant, and brave.

Thank you so much--and I speak for all Americans, and the whole world. The sacrifices were worth it. America now has more power, prestige, and wealth because of your efforts, and the people of Afghanistan and Iraq are truly better off.

Democracy is coming. There will soon be a grand square in the Iraqi capital named in your honor. It truly is the New American Century!

I'm glad you feel good about your results, and yourself, Sir. Sleep well.

 

F1FAN

2:53 PM ET

February 15, 2011

Rumsfeld, like so many others

Only categorizes democracy in the Middle East as 'democracy' if it is pro-western. I think the most dangerous hold over of the Bush Administration is still with us and is admirably exampled by Rumsfeld. We want democracy but only pro-western, pro-Israel and Pro-US democracy. We disavow democratically elected governments that don't agree with us and support dictators that stifle democracy because they agree with us. This glaring hypocrisy has been with us a long time but in the frame of the 'war on Terror' it gives us less leverage and less legitimacy to tackle terrorism when we are supporting dictators that terrorize their own people just because they will be friendly to Israel.

Rumsfeld and his boss never got that when you sponsor democracy and freedom that the people you bring democracy and freedom to are perfectly free to disagree with and even hate you and have the right to elect leaders that may even be unfriendly to us.

Celebrate democracy in all it's forms.

 

LINGO009

4:20 PM ET

February 15, 2011

Obama's Egyptian Speech in 09'

Naturally Rummy would like to take credit for the current situation in Egypt.

But he forgets the trip our new president (with an Islamic name) made in 09' and the highly acclaimed praise it received through out the region.

In his great speech- 'after sweet talking arab culture', he said this-

"The United States has been one of the greatest sources of progress that the world has ever known. We were born out of revolution against an empire. We were founded upon the ideal that all are created equal, and we have shed blood and struggled for centuries to give meaning to those words – within our borders, and around the world. We are shaped by every culture, drawn from every end of the Earth, and dedicated to a simple concept: E pluribus unum: "Out of many, one."

Sometimes- 'The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword' ... Rummy.

 

DDSNAIK

4:43 PM ET

February 15, 2011

So many laughable points

If one removes the generic quality of some comments (Really, Mr. Rumsfeld ? The military may or may not act responsibly in Egypt ? Conflicting messages from our State Dept. may weaken our voice ? Thanks for the insight), there is still ample evidence that "staying the course" holds sway in the corridors of power (if Rumsfeld has any, which would be just sorry).

Complementing Bush for setting an example for democracy in the region ? That's roughly equally relevant as saying that the American Revolution started on a Tuesday (or whatever), so Tuesdays must be good days to start revolutions. Same words, same ideas but so very different schematics... I wonder if any Tunisians or Egyptians would credit Bush for inspiration.

And Bushies commenting on respecting democracy (like they respected the democratic election of Hamas ?) should also either be qualified, as the comments just previous to mine did nicely, or uttered at a lower volume if they are to be taken sincerely...

Or perhaps I find it unfairly impossible to entertain comments from a supremely arrogant, thoroughly incompetent SecDef...

I'll stop now.

Cheers

 

WINSTON SMITH 9584

10:39 PM ET

February 15, 2011

Who is Rumsfeld?

Is Rumsfeld the 'freedom-loving' democracy 'supporter' who is willing to launch 19th century-style British Imperialist wars in Iraq to foster radical change, albeit at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives and hundreds of billions to trillions of dollars...

Or is the autocratic supporting, super-bureaucrat who infamously cozied up to Saddam Husein many years ago just as the dictator gassed his own people....

Above all, Rummy is a self-serving, Washington establishment elite survivor who will willingly serve whoever holds the reigns of power...

 

John Hudson reports on national security and foreign policy from the Pentagon to Foggy Bottom, the White House to Embassy Row, for The Cable.

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