I heard some of an interview with Donald Rumsfeld by Jim Lehrer a few days ago (the Pentagon has the transcript online here: http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/2003/tr20030911-secdef0665.html)

Rumsfeld has a distinctive way of doing interviews, where he asks most of the questions and answers them as well, but he must have a very commanding presence given the way no one seems to call him on some of the odd things he says. I was particularly struck by this interchange:

Q:  Let's cut to the crunch on this question.  If in fact this team does not find any weapons of mass destruction, do you believe that would do serious harm to the credibility of the president and this administration and particularly on the -- in the long run and when history looks back on this?

 

Rumsfeld:  I mean, the intelligence that our country had – has -- was over a sustained period of time, it was validated by other intelligence services.  I have to believe it was reasonably correct -- obviously not perfect.  No intelligence is ever perfect.  And that as the reports come out, they will find evidence of the kinds of programs that Secretary Powell presented to the United Nations.  That's my -- yes, I mean that's what I believe.

 

Q:  But if they don't?  Is that a problem?

 

Rumsfeld:  I don't do hypotheticals.

I think the fact that Rumsfeld and his crew "don't do hypotheticals" is at the heart of the mess we're in in Iraq. It is very clear from all that I read while this was going on, and sense, that they not only failed to consider what would happen if things didn't go their way, but actively refused to listen, fired, or forced to retire people who were in a position to know what they were getting into.