Donald rumsfeld known and unknown jon stewart
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Former Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld took a seat in unsympathetic territory on Wednesday to promote his memoir, Known and Unknown, sitting for an interview on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, a harsh and early critic of President George W. Bush and the war in Iraq.
I think I know why youre here, Mr. Stewart said at the start of the interview. And let me just deflate the tension right off the bat: Apology accepted.
Mr. Rumsfeld declined to apologize instead, he laughed along with the audience and the conversation quickly turned to the war in Iraq.
Mr. Stewart pressed Mr. Rumsfeld on the lead-up to the invasion, questioning why the Bush administration presented a face of certainty about intelligence that proved to be false.
Would it be fair to consider, Mr. Stewart said slowly, that in the effort that it took to sell us this, that we lost our
Mr. Rumsfeld stopped him. The word sell, he said, was a little strong.
In the effort it took the administration to
Present, Mr. Rumsfeld offered.
Mr. Stewart paused, and the audience laughed.
Mr. Rumsfeld added, Im just trying to help you!
Known and Unknown,&
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Last night on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart interviewed former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld about his new memoir "Known and Unknown."
Opening the interview, Stewart immediately quipped, "Right off the bat, apology accepted." They started off discussing Iraq. Stewart remarked that in his memoir, Rumsfeld wrote, "'Certainty with power can be dangerous'" and that the Bush Administration had had a "certainty bordering on arrogance" concerning entering the Iraq war.
Rumsfeld admitted that the administration had shown certainty, but stated that "the intelligence always is never perfectyou have to question it."
Stewart discussed the discrepancies between what the Bush Administration told the American public and what was actually true. Many of these left Rumsfeld looking obviously uncomfortable, and he evaded many of the questions directed at him.
When asked if it was a reasonable criticism to say that there was faulty intelligence concerning Iraq and that the post-war plan was inadequate, Rumsfeld simply replied, "It is certainly a criticism that is made."
Stewart wrapped up the interview by asking Rumsfeld what he thought about the current safety of Americans since the Iraq war began. Rumsfeld said, "We are safer today. There is no question but that we are."
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