Although it was well known that Rumsfeld believed Saddam Hussein should be ousted, he did not have that opportunity - and he sought it immediately - until after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Rumsfeld reportedly advised Bush in the wake of the worst terrorist attack ever on US soil that the regime in Baghdad should be included in any military response. Bush instead opted to go after the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, but quietly told his defence secretary to begin updating the existing plans for the invasion of Iraq.
Rumsfeld, 74, resigned on Wednesday, more than three years after US-led forces toppled Saddam's government, but nevertheless remain bogged down in a bloody and resilient insurgency that has brought Iraq to the brink of civil war and claimed more than 2,800 US lives.
Bush announced Rumsfeld's resignation after his Republican party was defeated in Congressional elections by Democrats in a vote that largely reflected public discontent with the war in Iraq.
'After a series of thoughtful conversations Secretary Rumsfeld and I have agreed that the time is right for new leadership at the Pentagon,' Bush said.
Rumsfeld's resignation marks the end of a long career in government and business in which he has been highly credited for his ability to turn around struggling companies, his cunning ability to win bureaucratic battles and his relentless pursuit of his point of view.
Rumsfeld, who was the longest serving cabinet member of the Bush administration, was touted for his brain power, eloquence, toughness and charm, and was faulted for being arrogant, egoistic and abrasive.
Once asked about French and German opposition to the war in Iraq, Rumsfeld famously dubbed the two NATO allies 'old Europe.'
Despite Rumsfeld's remarkable career and his many successes, he will be remembered primarily as the architect of the war in Iraq. He will be credited for a war plan that swiftly defeated Saddam's forces, but criticized for a lack of post-war planning that many believe led to the chaos that allowed the insurgency to get its footing.
The quick victory appeared to validate Rumsfeld's belief that a relatively small force could successfully wage war, but within months, the Americans found themselves entangled in the face of an insurgency and a mounting death toll.
By 2006, the notion that the United States was going to be in the fight in Iraq much longer than expected began to wear on the Bush presidency, and by the Congressional election Bush's job approval rating fell to below 40 per cent.
Democrats used growing discontent with the war to turn the elections into a referendum on Bush and the war in Iraq, which polls show most Americans believe has gone wrong.
In pre-election surveys, Americans consistently ranked the war in Iraq as their top concern, even as Bush declared it the 'central front' in the fight against terrorism and said that Democrats would abandon Iraq and make the US less safe.
Rumsfeld had been under pressure to resign long before the war took its toll on Bush's popularity, but it reached a peak after photos emerged in April 2004 showing American soldiers abusing detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison.
The scandal badly damaged US credibility on human rights issues, and ushered in a higher level of scrutiny about interrogation methods Rumsfeld had approved for obtaining information from detainees in the war on terrorism at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Rumsfeld apologized for the abuses at Abu Ghraib and vowed to prosecute the soldiers responsible. He later said he twice offered his resignation to Bush over the affair. The president, who is known for his loyalty, refused to allow Rumsfeld to step down.
So Rumsfeld stayed at the helm of the US military, remaining optimistic that the United States was on the right course in Iraq despite the difficult insurgency. He touted two successful rounds of elections and a referendum on a new Iraqi constitution. He cited progress in building up Iraqi security forces and began talking about reducing the US presence in the country.
But he could not overcome the images broadcast daily in the United States of the violence between Iraqi factions and against US troops. The insurgents' roadside bombs continued to claim the lives of American soldiers and the public turned against the war and a defence secretary who at one time was a popular face of the Bush administration.
Rumsfeld made his mark with the American public during the military campaign in Afghanistan. His blunt manner of speaking coupled with a sense of humour helped him achieve the status of a celebrity. His press briefings broadcast live across the country were dubbed the 'Rummy Show.'
Even though Rumsfeld waged two wars, he continued to focus on his original mission to change the US military from a Cold War posture designed to conduct major battles into a lighter, more flexible and lethal force. He cut weapon systems that did not fit into this vision, sought to trim the size of heavy infantry and placed an emphasis on special forces.
Many of his initiatives put him at odds with the military brass who had grown accustomed to life without the heavy hand of civilian leadership. Rumsfeld's rough and demanding style annoyed many of his generals, who he did not mind pushing aside if they did not share his views.
Just a month before the conflict in Iraq, General Eric Shinseki, the Army chief of staff, told Congress that 'several hundred thousand troops' would be needed to win the war and stabilize the country. Rumsfeld quickly dismissed the claim. After Rumsfeld's force of 140,000 toppled the regime, he named Shinseki's replacement one year before the general was slated to retire.
Rumsfeld continued to move on missile defence, increasing the number of tests and deploying a limited system in Alaska.
Rumsfeld grew up near Chicago, Illinois and got his first taste of government after a successful campaign for Congress in 1962. While in the House, he helped orchestrate an ouster of Republican leadership and went on to advise president Richard Nixon.
Nixon appointed Rumsfeld US ambassador to NATO, where he quickly discovered his impatience for diplomacy that involved a lot of talking and little action.
Following Nixon's resignation, Rumsfeld returned to Washington as President Gerald Ford's chief of staff, bringing in former assistant, Dick Cheney, to help out. Ford later appointed Rumsfeld to his first stint as defence secretary.
Cheney and Rumsfeld remained close friends throughout the decades. In the run-up to the Iraq war the two men were strong allies, working against then-secretary of state Colin Powell's more cautious approach.
Rumsfeld's heavy influence in Bush's presidency was perhaps best captured by Cheney, who is known to say about his former boss: 'When I look at Don Rumsfeld, I see a great secretary of defence. When Rumsfeld looks at me, he sees a former assistant to Don Rumsfeld.'
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