Tweet
The Honorable Donald (Rummy) Rumsfeld (my uncle) has set the record straight once and for all.
"Stuff happens" is one of Uncle Rummy's favorite expressions. 
Donald Rumsfeld: A 'trained ape' has better foreign policy skills than Obama
In a Fox News interview, the former secretary of defense slammed the President’s administration and it’s handling of foreign policy, specifically with Afghanistan and outgoing President Hamid Karzai, who supports Russian President Vladimir Putin and recognizes the annexation of Crimea as ‘the free will’ of citizens.
Donald Rumsfeld thinks “a trained ape” would have better foreign policy skills that the Obama administration.
The former secretary of defense slammed the President’s diplomatic dealings with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, as Rumsfeld defends the Afghans for supporting Vladimir Putin.
In a slap in the face to President Obama this weekend, Karzai informed a visiting U.S. congressional delegation in Kabul that he recognized Russia’s annexation of Crimea as “the free will of the Crimean people.”
Afghanistan joins Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Venezuela and North Korea in supporting Putin.
But Afghanistan's blunt break from America’s foreign policy has been years in making, according to Rumsfeld, who blames the President for alienating the Afghans.
“By golly they have trashed Karzai publicly over and over and over,” Rumsfeld accused the Obama administration in a FOX News interview Monday, naming special envoy Richard Holbrooke, Vice President Biden, ex-Secretary of State Clinton and Obama as the chief provokers who have trashed Karzai publicly.
“I really think it’s understandable given the terrible, terrible diplomacy that the United States has conducted with Afghanistan over the past several years,” he added, defending Karzai.
In particular, Rumsfeld pointed to the Obama administration’s failure to secure a status of forces agreement (SOFA) with Afghanistan.
“A trained ape could get a status of forces agreement. It doesn’t take a genius.”
The agreement between a host nation and foreign military presence ensures the rights of foreign troops, distinguishing the relationship from a military occupation.
Karzai so far has refused to the sign the revised arrangement presented to him by NATO, which would update the 2003 agreement that recognizes U.S. military presence.
“United States diplomacy has been so bad, so embarrassingly bad ... we have so mismanaged that relationship,” Rumsfeld said.
Rumsfeld offerred up the diplomatic advice, despite having once declared "I don't do diplomacy" in an 2004 ABC News interview.
The acerbic former George W. Bush official is known for lacking tact in his public rhetoric.
He bluntly stated "stuff happens" in 2003 when asked about the chaos after the Iraq invasion, and complained that "death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war" in reference to military casualities in the Iraq and Afghan conflicts.
In a Fox News interview, the former secretary of defense slammed the President’s administration and it’s handling of foreign policy, specifically with Afghanistan and outgoing President Hamid Karzai, who supports Russian President Vladimir Putin and recognizes the annexation of Crimea as ‘the free will’ of citizens.
Donald Rumsfeld thinks “a trained ape” would have better foreign policy skills that the Obama administration.
The former secretary of defense slammed the President’s diplomatic dealings with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, as Rumsfeld defends the Afghans for supporting Vladimir Putin.
In a slap in the face to President Obama this weekend, Karzai informed a visiting U.S. congressional delegation in Kabul that he recognized Russia’s annexation of Crimea as “the free will of the Crimean people.”
Afghanistan joins Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Venezuela and North Korea in supporting Putin.
But Afghanistan's blunt break from America’s foreign policy has been years in making, according to Rumsfeld, who blames the President for alienating the Afghans.
“By golly they have trashed Karzai publicly over and over and over,” Rumsfeld accused the Obama administration in a FOX News interview Monday, naming special envoy Richard Holbrooke, Vice President Biden, ex-Secretary of State Clinton and Obama as the chief provokers who have trashed Karzai publicly.
“I really think it’s understandable given the terrible, terrible diplomacy that the United States has conducted with Afghanistan over the past several years,” he added, defending Karzai.
In particular, Rumsfeld pointed to the Obama administration’s failure to secure a status of forces agreement (SOFA) with Afghanistan.
“A trained ape could get a status of forces agreement. It doesn’t take a genius.”
The agreement between a host nation and foreign military presence ensures the rights of foreign troops, distinguishing the relationship from a military occupation.
Karzai so far has refused to the sign the revised arrangement presented to him by NATO, which would update the 2003 agreement that recognizes U.S. military presence.
“United States diplomacy has been so bad, so embarrassingly bad ... we have so mismanaged that relationship,” Rumsfeld said.
Rumsfeld offerred up the diplomatic advice, despite having once declared "I don't do diplomacy" in an 2004 ABC News interview.
The acerbic former George W. Bush official is known for lacking tact in his public rhetoric.
He bluntly stated "stuff happens" in 2003 when asked about the chaos after the Iraq invasion, and complained that "death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war" in reference to military casualities in the Iraq and Afghan conflicts.
Comment