Bush chief of staff urged Rumsfeld be fired: Book

Washington, Sep 29: President George W Bush's former chief of staff tried twice to convince the US leader to fire Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld but failed, The Washington Post reported today, citing a new book by investigative reporter Bob Woodward.

Mr Woodward wrote that White House chief of staff Andrew Card urged Bush to replace Rumsfeld with former Secretary of State James Baker following the 2004 election, the Post reported on its Web site.

Mr Bush decided not to do so after Vice President Dick Cheney and political adviser Karl Rove pursuaded him the move would be seen as an expression of doubt about the direction of the war and expose him to criticism, the Post said.

Mr Card, with the backing of first lady Laura Bush, tried a second time to convince Bush to fire Rumsfeld around Thanksgiving 2005, the book says. But the president again refused to act.

Excerpts from Woodward's new book, ''State of Denial,'' are being released on the Post Web site and published in the newspaper. The book is scheduled for release next week. It portrays senior Bush administration officials as being unable to face the consequenses of their Iraq policy, the Post reported.

Reuters