Center for New American Security
Pushed by Liberal Hawks, a Rumsfeldian Idea Returns
Eighteen months after former secretary of defense Donald Rumsfeld retreated from his post under heavy criticism for, among other things, mishandling the invasion of Iraq and legitimizing torture as an interrogation technique, some Washington insiders are revisiting his strategies and tactics.
Notably, resurrecting Rumsfeld's idea - a comprehensive plan to overhaul the military - hasn't been reintroduced into the public dialog by die-hard neo-conservatives. The project is being led by a faction of security-obsessed Democrats.
Several weeks ago, military analyst Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution published a 60-page report, "Unfinished Business: U.S. Overseas Military presence in the 21st Century," which recommended that the next president return to Rumsfeld's "chief intellectual and policy accomplishment during his six-year tenure at the Pentagon. read more »
