Donald Rumsfeld, Defence Secretary under GW Bush and principal architect of the calamitous Iraq invasion post 9/11, has died. Kissinger called him the most ruthless man he ever met. John McCain called Rumsfeld “one of the worst secretaries of defence in history”. He had the unique distinction of being both the youngest (under Gerald Ford) and oldest man to be US secretary of defence and served four presidents in different roles.
His arrogant refusal to acknowledge intelligence or listen to military advice plunged Iraq into civil war, that cost trillions of dollars and caused the deaths of 4,500 US soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. The US occupation fomented international terrorism, making America more of a target while undermining its global stature. Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay were also blots on his record. GWB finally fired him. Rumsfeld He never expressed remorse or regret for his actions, lies or mistakes subsequently.
He was born 9 July 1932 5.40pm Chicago, Illinois and had an intense, deeply buried and controlling 8th house Sun Pluto in Cancer in a disruptive square to Uranus – he relished wielding power behind the scenes and upsetting the status quo. He also had an assertive/argumentative Mars in Gemini on his Descendant which was widely trine Saturn in cool Aquarius trine a Libra Moon conjunct his Midheaven.
When 9/11 happened tr Pluto in Sagittarius was exactly opposition his Mars and tr Saturn in Gemini was conjunct so the destructiveness of 9/11 aroused his anger and brought him to the fore. His Solar Arc Pluto was also conjunct his Midheaven then boosting his propensity for ruthlessness and control freakery.
His relationship chart with the USA 1776 has a hard-edged, can-be-damaging composite Mars opposition Saturn Moon which was also in the line of fire of the war-mongering tr Saturn opposition tr Pluto.
His relationship chart with the hapless GW Bush had a monstrously difficult, bullying and calamitous composite Pluto Venus Mars square Saturn.
He and the other Iraq-attack promoter Dick Cheney made an unpleasant pair. Cheney, 30 January 1941 7.30pm Lincoln, NE, is a Sun Aquarius opposition Pluto square Jupiter Saturn in Taurus – driven by power and money. His Neptune is conjunct Rumsfeld’s Midheaven for a slippery and ultimately harmful connection.
My immediate reaction
The Devil has taken one of his own for a change.