Donald Rumsfeld in Decision Points, by Pres. George W. Bush

On Foreign Policy: 2003: France & Germany are Old Europe; allies are New Europe

Colin was furious. He was trying to persuade the Germans & French to join our cause at the United Nations, and he felt Don had crossed into his lane in a way that complicated his diplomatic mission. His subordinates clearly felt the same way. Policy disputes that once took place behind closed doors started spilling out in the press.

I spoke to Don and Colin individually. I asked Dick and Condi to work behind the scenes. Nothing worked.

On Homeland Security: 2004: Offered to resign over Abu Ghraib

Four days later, Don sent another, longer letter: "I have concluded that the damage from the acts of abuse that happened on my watch, by individuals for whose conduct I a ultimately responsible, can best be responded to by my resignation."

I respected Don for repeating his offer. It was clear his earlier message had not been a mere formality; he was serious about leaving. It was a testament to his character, his loyalty to the office, & his understanding of the damage Abu Ghraib was causing. I seriously considered accepting his advice. But a big factor held me back: There was no obvious replacement for Don, and I couldn't afford to create a vacuum at the top of Defense.

On War & Peace: 2001: Counseled attacking Iraq at same time as Afghanistan

Colin cautioned against it. "We would lose the UN, the Islamic countries, and NATO. If we want to do Iraq, we should do it at a time of our choosing. But we should not do it now, because we don't have linkage to this event."

Dick Cheney understood the threat of Saddam Hussein and believed we had to address it. "But now is not a good time to do it," he said.

I welcomed the vigorous debate. Listening to the discussion and divergent views helped clarify my options. Unless I received definitive evidence tying Saddam Hussein to the 9/11 plot, I would work to resolve the Iraq problem diplomatically. The best way to show him we were serious was to succeed in Afghanistan.