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Known unknowns about Donald Rumsfeld

It’s hard to imagine a positive and respectful obituary of Donald Rumsfeld, the US secretary of defense under President George Bush at the time of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. And when his death was announced last week, at the age of 88, there were indeed very few. Donald Rumsfeld
Rumsfeld was a key figure in the historic and bitterly divisive decision to invade Iraq in the wake of the 9/11 al-Qaeda terrorist attacks on the US - despite Saddam Hussein not having weapons of mass destruction, as Washington and its allies maintained at the time.
Bush admired Rumsfeld, who had served as defense secretary under President Gerald Ford at the height of the Cold War, describing his appointee as a man of "great judgement" with a "strong vision". But within hours of 9/11, Rumsfeld was already floating the idea of retaliation not just against Afghanistan-based Osama Bin Laden - the main suspect - but on Iraq too.
The catastrophic consequences of that decision in March 2003 are still with Iraq, the Middle East and the world nearly two decades later. It was, in the words of one US columnist, “one of the most baffling, hare-brained and ultimately bloody choices in the history of American national security.”
With Rumsfeld in charge, US forces swiftly overthrew Saddam but failed to maintain order afterwards. The result was that Iraq plummeted into chaos with a savage insurgency and sectarian violence between Sunni and Shia Muslims. US troops remained in Iraq until 2011, long after he left the Pentagon in 2006.
Obituaries naturally noted that Rumsfeld played a vital role ahead of the war. He warned repeatedly of the dangers posed by Iraq’s WMD but no such weapons were ever discovered. Documents that surfaced later showed that Rumsfeld was well aware of the gaps in intelligence about WMD, but he consistently presented the claims to the public as if they were certainties.
In January 2003, for example, he declared that Saddam had “large, unaccounted for stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, including VX, sarin, mustard gas, anthrax, botulism and possibly smallpox”. He also described “an active Iraqi program to acquire and develop nuclear weapons.”
Following the successful invasion of Afghanistan that overthrew the Taliban, Bush’s reference to the “axis of evil” comprising Iran, Iraq and North Korea, paved the way for a bullish interventionism that became known as the “Bush doctrine.” Given the post 9/11 influence of the defense department, it was Rumsfeld who called the shots, along with vice-president Dick Cheney, and the head of the CIA, George Tenet.
Rumsfeld caused other longer-term damage. In the course of 2004, Bush twice refused to accept his offer to resign after photos emerged of US personnel abusing prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad – a scandal that sparked international condemnation. The photos showed US troops laughing and giving thumbs-up signs as prisoners were forced into sexually abusive and humiliating positions.
American treatment of detainees in Iraq and foreign terrorism suspects at a prison “facility” set up under Rumsfeld at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, also attracted global criticism. The harm done to America’s reputation because of what were termed “enhanced interrogation techniques” remains grave to this day.
Historians also blamed the defense secretary for making decisions that led to difficulties in Iraq. Rumsfeld insisted on a relatively small invasion force, rejecting the views of many generals. That minimal force was insufficient to stabilize Iraq when Saddam fell. He was also accused of being slow to recognize the gravity of the insurgency in 2003 and the threat it posed. "Stuff happens," he told journalists in April 2003 amid growing chaos.
His man in Baghdad, Paul Bremer, also made two fateful and decisions: dissolving the Iraqi military – creating a pool for armed resistance rather than making use of them as a reconstruction force, as was originally planned. Bremer’s second error barred from Iraq's government even junior members of the former ruling Ba’ath Party, emptying ministries of officials.
Rumsfeld was infamous for holding conferences in which he sparred imperiously with reporters. A memorable moment came in 2002, when he gave a much-mocked answer about "known knowns" and "known unknowns" - generating ridicule after being asked whether there were indeed any WMD in Iraq. Donald Rumsfeld
In his 2011 memoir, entitled Known and Unknown, he expressed no remorse over the decision to invade Iraq, which cost the US $700 billion and 4,400 American lives, as well as over a quarter of a million Iraqi dead and five million displaced. “Ridding the region of Saddam’s brutal regime has created a more stable and secure world,” he wrote.
It did not: as Iranian militias entered Iraq, they established the "Shia Crescent" that connected them by land to their allies in Syria and to Hizbullah in Lebanon. In due course, opposition to the Iraqi invasion was a key factor in the failure of the US to intervene in Syria’s bloody civil war in 2011, and its disastrous human and political consequences, despite President Barack Obama call for Bashar al-Assad to go. Rumsfeld left a more devastating legacy that he admitted. Donald Rumsfeld
by: IAN BLACK
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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