The Hindu : International : Rumsfeld to stay?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 05, 2004

International

International

Rumsfeld to stay?

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, DEC. 4. In spite of a tenure marked by the increasing mess in Iraq and sharp criticism of the treatment the U.S. is meting out to prisoners and detenus at its facilities in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, the Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, is staying on for the second Bush administration, unnamed officials have said.

The President, George W Bush, apparently gave his seal of confidence during a Monday meeting with Mr. Rumsfeld; and this was not revealed until Friday after the eighth Cabinet member, the Secretary of Health and Human Resources Tommy Thompson officially resigned.

"These are challenging times. We are a nation at war and it's critical we win this war. Secretary Rumsfeld, the President believes, is the right person for the job," said an official.

"He has proven himself to be a strong leader during these times of challenge."

Known hawk

The known hawk in the administration with close ties to the Vice-President, Dick Cheney, Mr. Rumsfeld's future was widely speculated in the media here.

With the war in Iraq not going the way the administration wanted it to, there was the thinking that he was on his way out.

Another indication was that Mr. Bush wanted the present team at the Pentagon to stay put.

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