http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6130296.stm

Where will ths leave Bush and the war on terror?

My bet is Rumsfield wouldn't quit unless Bush wanted him to. More likely he's a sacrifice to the polls.

That's where my mind is.

Bush and Rumsfeld are close chums. Don probably caved under all the media pressure just like half of Bush's original cabinet due to the "War on terror/Iraq conflict". Might as well set up some revolving doors for his cabinet, as surely more will follow. I don't know much about Mr. Gates, but as a former CIA director he is a good replacement (if he survives media scrutiny).

- Zombie

Rumsfeld has always been a very close political ally to Bush and he has been highly influencial in setting America's foreign policy, so I don't think Bush has forced Rumsfeld out. Bush has shown that when he believes that a particular course of action is right, he will go ahead with it regardless of domestic and international opinion (as well as common sense), so I can't see Bush kicking out one of his senior policy setters. I think it is far more likely that Rumsfeld chose to resign in order to deflect attention from Bush.

I don't think the Democrats should get too excited just yet; the Republicans won the last two presidential elections by a wafer-thin margin, so this result does not represent a dramatic swing. The Democrats still have two years to mess things up by finding a presidential candidate who is even more hopeless than John Kerry.

I think Rumsfeld's resignation is going to make things much harder for the British and American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The fundamentalists in both countries already think that Western countries don't have the will to fight a drawn-out war, and they are likely to see this as a sign that American resolve is faltering.

Where does this leave Bush and the War on Terror?

My view is that after these mid-term elections, the Republicans will be wanting to wrap up in Iraq and pull out of it before the next presidential elections. A move that the Democrats won't have a problem with because they sure as hell don't want to have Iraq as their problem if they win in the next presidential elections.

The War on Terror and the invasion of Iraq should never ever have been intertwined which they did.
The US had already invaded Afghanistan and was in the process of kicking the Talibans rear good and proper at the time the invasion of Iraq began. This lead to a 2-front war that in military historical terms not a good thing.
The situations is that the US now as a big military presence tied up in both Iraq and Afghanistan which drains the US war chest due to incompetent and corrupt private logistical support companies.
I know that Bush and company never had much faith in the US intelligence agencies and tended to go their own way despite the intel pointed elsewhere.
Bush and company including Rumsfeld misled the american people into the invasion of Iraq many unofficial and independent sources point at.
Another point was Powell's 'show' to the UN Security Council which was based on faulty and bogus intel at best. After his resignation as foregin minister he spoke out on the difference of opinion between him and Bush and that he knew that the 'evidence' that he presented the UN was faulty intel.
Rumsfeld has taken upon himself the role of scapegoat and target for all of the fallout of the military operations (Afghanistan and Iraq) during Bush's reign as President.
Now the that the Democrats has taken over both houses Bush and company better start cleaning up their act.
Or sweep it all under the carpet while distracting the masses with pulling of a magic trick like pulling a bunny out of the hat. Then the next democratic president can find mess and start cleaning it up.

Here's a new article of interest.

To sum it up, folk are seeking for Rumsfeld and some others to be prosecuted in Germany for war crimes. Why Germany? Because their laws allow for folk to be prosecuted regardless as to where the crime was committed, if it was serious enough. American law, on the other hand, currently says torture is legal if Bush says so.

Dunno if this will get off the ground or what will come of it if it does. Even if it goes to the courts and they're all found guilty, I assume punishment would rely on the accused entering the country.

So much for German-American relations.

- Zombie