Ruminating Rummy: Donald Rumsfeld from his always interesting press conferences during the George W. Bush years. Photo: AFP/File

An interesting interview with former US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Fox News. The always talkative Rumsfeld who loved to ruminate with the American press corps during the George W. Bush administration had some very practical and reasonable things to say about Pakistan, its role in the war on terror, the need to be measured and the nature of countries to act in their self-interest.

Breaking off relations and cutting aid would be wrong, said Rumsfeld. He talked about how it is perfectly reasonable to believe that Osama bin Laden had no contact with Pakistani officials, and that he could very well hide without anyone in the Pakistan intelligence community knowing. He even said the same sort of thing could happen in Washington. As such, he talked about how all players should not be too reactionary, but should instead take a measured approach, realising that the relationship is imperfect and that the focus should be on the trajectory of the relationship and working on making it stronger. Of course, he conceded that there are most probably militant sympathisers within the military in Pakistan (somewhere).

When asked by Greta Van Susteren if Pakistan was a good partner, Rumsfeld said this:

“Is it possible when the signal goes out that we will make a raid in the tribal area that someone would tell the people up there? Sure, that’s possible. In fact it is likely. It happens when the Pakistani military goes up to make a raid. They’ve had hundreds of their own people killed trying to be helpful in the war on terror. It is not a one-sided thing.

I think Musharraf, when he made the decision to cooperate with us, took a bold step. They tried to kill him several times. Did he have perfect control over his government? No.”

He never sounded so fair during the Dubya years (about Afghanistan, Iraq or Pakistan), but then again, he’s now more free to speak without spin. Ah, to be unburdened.

Click play below to watch the video (length 6 mins 35 seconds):