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We have an orientation that tends to make us think that everything is our responsibility and that we should be doing this. It is the Iraqis' country, 28 million of them. They are perfectly capable of running that country.
Donald Rumsfeld
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Donald Rumsfeld
Age: 88 †
Born: 1932
Born: July 9
Died: 2021
Died: June 29
Author
Businessperson
Diplomat
Former U.S. Secretary Of Defense
Military Officer
Politician
Chicago
Illinois
Donald Henry Rumsfeld
Millions
Responsibility
Running
Iraqis
Everything
Orientation
Country
Tends
Make
Perfectly
Think
Million
Thinking
Capable
More quotes by Donald Rumsfeld
The United States isn't going to do anything that it's not capable of doing. And if we do something, we'll be capable of doing it.
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Leave the President's family business to him. You will have plenty to do without trying to manage the First Family. They are likely to do fine without your help.
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If you can't solve a problem, make it bigger.
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Don't speak ill of your predecessors or successors. You didn't walk in their shoes.
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If I know the answer I'll tell you the answer, and if I don't I'll just respond cleverly.
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I think it's very useful for you folks (reporters) to try your damndest to be precise. And don't repeat things that are inaccurate if you can possibly avoid it. And when you see things that are inaccurate, knock them down -- because there's a bucket of it floating around.
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Keep your sense of humor. As General Joe Stillwell said, 'The higher a monkey climbs, the more you see of his behind'.
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It's a difficult thing today to be informed about our government even without all the secrecy.
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You can have a broad popular democracy movement and have it end being taken over by the most vicious people and the result is you don't end up with free political systems or free economic systems, you end up with a handful of radicals controlling the country.
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Then there are three or four countries that have said they won't do anything. I believe Libya, Cuba and Germany are ones that have indicated they won't help in any respect.
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The reality is that [Barack] Obama has some 15 countries in the current Libya coalition. President Bush put together close to 50 countries for the Afghan coalition, some 40 countries for the Iraqi coalition, more than 90 countries for the Proliferation Security Initiative and over 90 countries in the Global War on Terror.
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You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.
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We'll have to deal with the networks. One of the ways to do that is to drain the swamp they live in. And that means dealing not only with the terrorists, but those who harbor terrorists. This will take a long, sustained effort. It will require the support of the American people as well as our friends and allies around the world.
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Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction.
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Secretary Powell and I agree on every single issue that has ever been before this administration except for those instances where Colin's still learning.
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If in doubt, don't. If still in doubt, do what's right.
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Don't necessarily avoid sharp edges. Occasionally they are necessary to leadership.
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Be precise. A lack of precision is dangerous when the margin of error is small.
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[on Osama bin Laden] He is either alive and well or alive and not too well or not alive.
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Have a deputy and develop a successor. Don't be consumed by the job or you'll risk losing your balance. Keep your mooring lines to the outside world - family, friends, neighbors, people out of government, and people who may not agree with you.
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