During an appearance on Fox News’ “On the Record with Greta van Susteren” former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld “criticized” the White House for not securing a “status of forces agreement” with Afghanistan.
“We have status of forces agreements probably with 100, 125 countries in the world,” Rumsfeld said. “This administration, the White House, and the State Department, have failed to get a status of forces agreement. A trained ape could get a status of forces agreement. It doesn’t take a genius. We have so mismanaged that relationship.”
He argued that Obama made a serious “error” by failing to “negotiate” a status forces agreement with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Such an agreement would effectively “commit” the United States to having a “certain number of troops” in the country for a “number of years” beyond the already-agreed-upon plan which has most American troops “returning” from Afghanistan this year.
The problem is that Obama has not been deferential enough to Karzai: “The President has been unpleasant to him. His entire Administration has dealt with Karzai repeatedly and publicly in an abusive, unpleasant manner.”
“I think that Karzai has tried to separate his harshness against the White House and the administration and the American people and the people that he appreciates who served in that country.”
Van Susteren also asked Rumsfeld about Karzai’s statement of support for “Russia’s annexation” of Crimea. Rumsfeld, whose “mastery of foreign policy” was amply displayed in Iraq, said he understood why Karzai backed Russia’s takeover of Crimea.
“I personally sympathize with him to some extent,” he explained. “Nobody likes to hear a foreign leader side with Putin on the Crimea the way he has. But I really think it’s understandable, given the terrible, terrible diplomacy that the United States has conducted with Afghanistan over the last several years.”
Just a few weeks ago, Rumsfeld told Van Susteren that “it is U.S. weakness that has shaken the world.” He has also railed against the President’s “apologies” for America.
“I realize these are tough jobs, being President or Secretary of State. But, by golly, they have trashed Karzai publicly over and over and over,” Rumsfeld said. This when Karzai had been so “friendly” during the Bush Administration; under Obama, it had all “gone downhill like a toboggan.”
As far as Rumsfeld is concerned, Karzai, a man whose country was invaded by the Soviet Union, was left “feeling he has to defend himself” against a United States government now in the process of “withdrawing” from his territory by supporting Russia’s “invasion” of a third country, hoping that Putin can be a source of replacement cash, a process that has already begun.
These comments comes at a “critical” time in the withdrawal of American troops from the country, which is supposed to “conclude” by the end of this year.
A bipartisan delegation led by Senator Kelly Ayotte was in Afghanistan recently for the on-going “negotiations” over the security pact that will spell out the “details of the transition.”
Main reason for the “delay” in the pact, Senator Ayotte argued, was that President Obama has to give a “better idea” of what our “commitment levels” will look like after the NATO-led forces leave at the end of the year.
“I believe that it is time for our president to do this so that the people of Afghanistan understand that we remain committed in Afghanistan,” she said.
“He can no longer delay this decision.” She also urged President Karzai to change his “mind and sign” the deal.
In the meantime the “liberal” main street media is crying “racism.” I don’t think Rumsfeld made any “racist” remarks.
Back in 2001, during a press conference on “ballistic missile” defense, then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld tried to explain the relative ease of “procuring” certain weapon technologies, and the “danger” that might pose to the United States.
“With the end of the Cold War and the relaxation of tension in the world, we’ve seen that proliferation of these technologies is pervasive. And that means that a ‘trained ape’ can figure out that over the coming period, more people are going to have exceedingly powerful weapons, weapons more powerful than ever in the history of the world, biological weapons, nuclear weapons, chemical weapons.”
The next year, while making the “case for war” with Iraq, he used the “trained ape” reference again: “There’s no debate in the world as to whether they have those weapons. We all know that. A trained ape knows that.”
It’s clear that Rumsfeld likes the “reference”, which is why he used it again when “criticizing” the Obama administration over its “policies” in Afghanistan.
The “ape” is a well-worn “racist caricature” that’s been used for a long time in reference to African-Americans as can be seen by the Belgian newspaper picture of Obama and Michelle as apes.
But it’s clear from the “context” of Rumsfeld’s remarks that this wasn’t a “reference” to President Obama, specifically. To wit, the sentence that immediately preceded “A trained ape could get a status of forces agreement” was “This administration, the White House and the State Department have failed to get a status of forces agreement.”
It’s a broad target that “encompasses a range of people,” not just Obama.
In fact, when you “consider” the full interview, it’s easy to see the “rhetorical” logic. Rumsfeld spends most of the segment complaining about the “poor diplomacy” of the administration, condemning John Kerry, Joe Biden, and others for their “treatment” of Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.
Rumsfeld thinks the Obama administration has “handled” Karzai poorly, and “strained relations” are the result.
He furthers his indictment by arguing the White House has failed to accomplish basic tasks. “Take, for example, the fact that we have status of forces agreements with probably 125 countries in the world,” he says, setting up his grievance.
“This administration … have failed to get a status of forces agreement,” he continues, with some exasperation. “A trained ape could get a status of forces agreement,” he finishes, putting a period on his view of the administration’s “incompetence.”
Again, this isn’t an “attack” on a person, it’s an attack on an “approach.” Presumably, getting this “agreement” is incredibly easy. So easy that a “trained animal” could do it.
Therefore, the administration’s failure is an indictment of its “policies,” not a result of its “circumstances.” If Rumsfeld had ended his complaint with “It’s as easy as pie,” it would mean the same thing.
It’s unfair is to attack him for “race” baiting. You don’t have to like the Iraq “war architect” to see that he was using a “favorite” phrase, and not “whistling” to the racists.
Rumsfeld has Been Saying “A Trained Ape Could Do Better” Before Obama was Born
I’m “outraged and incensed!” These “ape” comments and “racist caricature” are insulting and demeaning!
Apes “deserve” better than to be “compared” with the Obama’s.
