Ex US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld dies at 88   

Former US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who was a reputed and skilled bureaucrat and visionary of a modern military, was tattered by the long and costly Iraq attack, died on Tuesday, at the age of 88.

In a statement by his family, Rumsfeld was surrounded by family in his beloved Taos.

Former colleagues regarded him as equally smart and belligerent, patriotic and politically cunning, Rumsfeld worked in government under four presidents in America.

After retiring he supervised the Rumsfeld Foundation to endorse public service and to work with charities that provide services and support for military families and wounded veterans.

Rummy, was ambitious, witty, energetic, engaging, and capable of great personal warmth.

His confrontational style irritated many others. An accomplished wrestler in college; Rumsfeld enjoyed verbal scuffling and elevated it to an art form; biting humor was a favorite weapon.

Rumsfeld is the only person to serve twice as Pentagon chief.

The first time, in 1975-77, and next in 2001-06.

He ran for the 1988 Republican presidential nomination, a remarkable flop that he once described as chastening for a man used to success at the highest levels of government.

For all Rumsfeld’s accomplishments, it was the hindrances in Iraq in the twilight of his career that will likely engrave the most intense features of his inheritance.

By 2002 the Bush administration’s consideration budged to Iraq, which played no role in the Sept 11 attacks.

The US-led invasion of Iraq was launched in March 2003. Critics criticized Rumsfeld for discharging the pre-invasion valuation of the army’s top general, Eric Shinseki that several hundred thousand allied troops would be needed to stabilize Iraq.

Donald Rumsfeld twice offered his resignation to President George Bush in 2004 amidst admissions that US troops had ill-treated prisoners at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison.

In Nov 2006, after Democrats came to the power of Congress by a wave of anti-war sentimentality. He left office in December, replaced by Robert Gates.