Home > War in the Persian Gulf > Donald Rumsfeld Biography

Born July 9, 1932

Chicago, Illinois

U.S. secretary of defense who played a leading role in deciding military strategy for the 2003 Iraq War

"This is not a war against a people. It is not a war against a country, and it is most certainly not a war against a religion. It is a war against a regime."

Donald Rumsfeld at a Pentagon press briefing.

Donald Rumsfeld served as U.S. secretary of defense during the 2003 Iraq War. In this position, he helped convince President George W. Bush (see entry) to invade Iraq. He also worked with U.S. military leaders to plan Operation Iraqi Freedom. The strategy crafted by Rumsfeld and other military leaders succeeded in capturing Baghdad and removing Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (see entry) from power after a few short weeks of combat. But Rumsfeld faced some criticism for failing to anticipate the problems U.S....