Donald Rumsfeld, US Secretary of Defense During Iraq War, Dies at 88

Donald Rumsfeld, who served as the United States Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 and 2001 and 2006, has died aged 88 on Tuesday at his home in Taos, N.M.

Donald H. Rumsfeld served as the secretary of defense for under two Us presidents, Gerald R. Ford and George W. Bush, who presided over America’s Cold War strategies in the 1970s and, in the new world of terrorism decades later, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

He also had the distinction of being the only defense chief to serve two non-consecutive terms and was the youngest, at 43, and the oldest, at 74, to hold the post.

His family announced in a statement on Wednesday, saying, “It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of Donald Rumsfeld, an American statesman and devoted husband, grandfather, and great grandfather. At 88, he was surrounded by family in his beloved Taos, New Mexico.”

“History may remember him for his extraordinary accomplishments over six decades of public service, but for those who knew him best and whose lives were forever changed as a result, we will remember his unwavering love for his wife Joyce, his family and friends, and the integrity he brought to a life dedicated to country,” the statement reads.

Former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has been regarded as the architect of two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq under former President George W. Bush. 

H provided with the justification that Iraq held an active stockpile of weapons of mass destruction, despite insufficient evidence.

The news of his death has met with all sorts of reactions especially for the key role he played in the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq.