Donald Rumsfeld: I should have resigned after Abu Ghraib

(By Ed Morrissey, Hot Air) - Actually, Donald Rumsfeld 'did' resign as Secretary of Defense after Abu Ghraib — twice. George W. Bush refused to accept both times, keeping Rumsfeld on at the Pentagon, where he turned into a lightning rod for criticism of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.  ABC released the first part of Rumsfeld’s interview with Diane Sawyer (part 2 comes tomorrow), and Rumsfeld now believes that the country would have been better off if his former boss had taken his first offer:

In an exclusive interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer, Rumsfeld also said the enhanced interrogation techniques he approved for use on the so-called “20th hijacker” — including forced stress positions and removal of “comfort items” — produced invaluable intelligence.

But his biggest regret was staying in office during what he calls a period of “damaging distraction,” as photos of abused detainees at Abu Ghraib circulated around the globe. He twice wrote letters of resignation to the president, but was convinced to stay on both times.

“That was such a stain on our country,” he told Sawyer. “To think that people in our custody were treated in that disgusting and perverted and ghastly way — unacceptable way.”

“There wasn’t an easy target,” he added. “And so I stepped up and told the president I thought I should resign. And I think probably he and the military and the Pentagon and the country would’ve been better off if I had.”

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