Sure, Karzai played both sides, with the Taliban and the US, and came out of it as the Afghans always do. Re his judgment, let's not forget Rumsfield said the US would be in and out of Iraq in four months. There would be no occupation. "I don't do quagmires," he said.

I often wonder why Bush even gave Rumsfield the job. He was no friend of the Bushes. He tried to thwart his father's run for the presidency. Nixon loved him "as a ruthless little bastard." Rumsfield had no strategic or tactical sense, sending in less than half the troops Bush senior committed for Desert Storm.

Consider, too, when criticizing Obama for pulling out in response to public demands, Rumsfield ignored the Pentagon's objections to his strategy: not enough troops, not enough materiel. He managed the quagmire: 4,500 US dead, 11,000 wounded, a trillion dollars---and counting.

It's now the West's burden.