Donald Henry Rumsfeld
09-Jul-1932
United States
Politician
Donald Rumsfeld served as secretary of defense in the U.S. during the 2003 War in Iraq. In that capacity, he helped persuade President George W. Bush (see entry) to invade Iraq. He has also worked with American military leaders to organize Operation Iraqi Freedom. The strategy by Rumsfeld and other military leaders succeeded in capturing Baghdad and removing Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (see entry) from power after several weeks of fighting. But Rumsfeld faced some criticism for failing to consider the problems U.S. forces encountered in Iraq after the end of the war.