Key Sentence
<"Now, having said that, I don't know what intelligence the US Government has."
Precisely.
"Storming Normal" is a hell of a man. Virtually all soldiers who've seen combat are cautious about future conflicts. He has his reservations, but freely admits he isn't "in the loop" with the current situation regarding intelligence issues.
As for Rumsfeld, the Constitution requires civilian control of the military. It's not just a good idea, it's the law. Rumsfeld is the man at the helm of the Department of Defense as appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
I can't comment on the 2nd article because the link didn't work when I tried it.