You are here: Home » News »

Rumsfeld: President Obama Has Embraced Bush’s Post Sept. 11 Policies

09/07/2011 2:01 pm 0 comments

In a long interview with Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren, yesterday, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld looks back at Sept. 11. Rumsfeld recounts that day at the Pentagon; he rememebers feeling the building shake and watching the thickening smoke and leaving the building to find the lawn covered in pieces of metal from the airplane.

One of the highlights of the interview is what he says about the Bush Doctrine, the set of policies enacted by President George W. Bush after the terrorist attacks. Rumsfeld says that despite the fact that President Obama campaigned against those policies, he’s ended up supporting them throughout the first half of his term.

“I think what they did was they campaigned again the Bush approach — and once they got in they realized the 90-nation coalition that was put together was successful in sharing intelligence, and tracking bank accounts, and cooperating against terrorism,” said Rumsfeld.

“They ended up keeping Guantanamo open not because they like it — we didn’t like it either — but they couldn’t think of a better solution,” Rumsfeld said. “The same is true with the Patriot Act, and military commissions, and indefinite detention. All of those things were criticized but, today, are still in place two-and-a-half years later because they’re the best alternative to the other choices — and they are in fact successful in keeping America safer.”

To read this article in its entirety visit NPR.

Sphere: Related Content

Obama: ‘Constructive’ Budget Talks To Continue; Leaders To Meet Sunday

Source: Mark Memmott / NPR Saying that today's White House meeting with Congressional leaders was "very constructive," President Obama just announced ...

President Obama Goes On The Attack, To Democrats’ Delight

Source: David Nakamura and Paul Kane / The Washington Post There is a noticeably more aggressive, confrontational President Obama roaming the ...

Fidel Castro Says President Obama Is ‘Stupid’

Source: AP / The Huffington Post Havana, Cuba - Fidel Castro is mocking U.S. President Barack Obama for saying he's open ...

Bill Clinton: GOP Argument On Taxing Wealthy Americans ‘An Insult To Those People’ (VIDEO)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Source: AP / The Huffington Post Washington — Former President ...

President Obama Proposes $1.5 Trillion In New Taxes (VIDEO)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Source: MSNBC Washington — President Barack Obama, setting up another ...

President Obama: My Odds Are Better In 2012 Than In 2008

Source: Stephanie Condon / CNN As the economy continues to sputter, some are questioning President Obama's re-election chances. But the president ...

James Carville To White House: Panic (VIDEO)

In a CNN.com article, James Carville warns the White House that the president's approach isn't working. WATCH:

FINANCIAL TIMES: President Obama To Propose Medicare And Medicaid Cuts

Source: Stephanie Kirchgaessner and James Politi in Washington / Financial Times Barack Obama is expected to lay out a plan next ...

President Obama To Submit His Jobs Plan To Congress Monday (VIDEO)

Source: CNN Washington - President Barack Obama will take to the Rose Garden on Monday to make a pitch for his ...

President Obama: Jobs Plan Will Block Double-Dip Recession

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Source: David Jackson / USA Today President Obama has a ...

Obama: ‘Constructive’ Budget Talks To Continue; Leaders To

President Obama Goes On The Attack, To Democrats’

Fidel Castro Says President Obama Is ‘Stupid’

Bill Clinton: GOP Argument On Taxing Wealthy Americans

President Obama Proposes $1.5 Trillion In New Taxes

President Obama: My Odds Are Better In 2012

James Carville To White House: Panic (VIDEO)

FINANCIAL TIMES: President Obama To Propose Medicare And

President Obama To Submit His Jobs Plan To

President Obama: Jobs Plan Will Block Double-Dip Recession

More from the Roland S. Martin Blog

Politics Washington Watch
Rep. Clyburn Pushes The Clyburn Amendment To Help The Poorest Of The Poor (VIDEO)

Rep. James Clyburn joined Roland Martin on the set of Washington Watch to discuss the Clyburn Amendment. This amendment was created to help the poorest of the poor across the United States. MR. MARTIN: Is there anything specific the President and Congress can do to target African-Americans when it comes to this high unemployment number? REP. CLYBURN: Yes, there is, and we – you’ll find it in the rule development part of the so-called “stimulus bill.” I- — was – [...]
Read more →
News
WASHINGTON WATCH: Rep. James Clyburn On Feb. Job Numbers, African-American Unemployment, Bipartisan Jobs Bill (VIDEO)

New employment numbers came out Friday showing the economy continues to recover and continues to add jobs at a pretty healthy pace. There were 233,000 private-sector jobs created in February. That’s two, solid years of private-sector job growth. The unemployment rate was steady at 8.3 percent. Black unemployment was 14.1 percent, up half a percentage point from last month. Big job gains came in healthcare, business and professional services, as well as restaurants. The jobs problem and the upcoming election [...]
Read more →
Commentary Sports
ROLAND S. MARTIN: Props To NCAA For Banning Connecticut From March Madness

By Roland S. Martin Editor-in-Chief RolandMartinReports.com March Madness is usually a wild and crazy time on the campuses of the nation’s big-time college basketball programs as fans wait in line for days for tickets to see their favorite collegiate do battle in the NCAA postseason tournament. But if you’re a Connecticut Huskie fan, you’d better hope your team can have a magical run in the Big East tourney and qualify for an automatic bid because when it’s time for [...]
Read more →
Media Politics Roland Martin On CNN Video
Getting To The Polls: Is There An Enthusiasm Gap Amongst Republican And Democratic Voters?

Donna Brazile, Roland Martin, Ari Fleischer, Erick Erickson, Jessica Yellen and Anderson Cooper analyze voter turn out and if there is an enthusiasm gap amongst the GOP and Democrats. Sphere: Related Content
Read more →
Media Politics Roland Martin On CNN Video
Gingrich Has Problems With Women Voters, They Don’t Trust Him (VIDEO)

Roland Martin, Erick Erickson, Donna Brazile, Ari Fleischer and Anderson Cooper discuss Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, their wives and Gingrich’s problems with women voters.
Read more →
Commentary Sports
ROLAND S. MARTIN: Football Power In Texas Has Shifted To Houston

By Roland S. Martin Editor-in-Chief RolandMartinReports.com I hate the Dallas Cowboys. No, I don’t dislike them. I flat out cannot stand anything about the Dallas Cowboys. The year they went 1-15, I was ticked they won that one game. When they played in those three Super Bowls in the ’90s, I rooted hard for the opposition. Hell, I hate them more than the Ku Klux Klan! That’s why I take great pleasure in seeing the transfer of power in the [...]
Read more →
Politics
Herman Cain Tops Mitt Romney In Latest CBS/NYT Poll

Source: Corbett B. Daly / CBS News CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto. Businessman Herman Cain is now atop the field of Republican White House hopefuls, squeaking past former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the latest CBS News/New York Times poll. Cain garnered 25 percent support of Republican primary voters in the poll released on Tuesday, compared to Romney’s 21 percent. To read this article in its entirety [...]
Read more →
Politics
Rick Perry: Obama Birth Certificate ‘A Good Issue To Keep Alive’

Source: Luke Johnson / The Huffington Post Texas Gov. Rick Perry said the birther issue was worth “keeping alive” in a CNBC interview Tuesday morning. “It’s a good issue to keep alive. It’s fun to poke at him,” said Perry, according to host John Harwood. Perry also spoke evasively about President Barack Obama’s birth certificate in an interview with Parademagazine published over the weekend. When asked if he believed the president was born in the United States, he said, “I have no reason to think [...]
Read more →
Video
What Did You Think Of The GOP Debate? (VIDEO)

CNN’s T.J. Holmes caught up with some folks just after the Las Vegas GOP debate ended. WATCH: Sphere: Related Content
Read more →
Video
Poverty Rises For Blacks In Omaha (VIDEO)

CNN’s Thelma Gutierrez reports on the disproportionate rate of poverty among African-Americans in Omaha, Nebraska. WATCH: Sphere: Related Content
Read more →

← previous next →

Trending On RolandSMartin.com

More from the Roland S. Martin Blog