In December 2002, as America entered the second year of what would become its longest war, Donald Rumsfeld was riding high as the wartime secretary in charge of responding to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

His preferred strategy of deploying a relatively small number of U.S. special operations commandos partnered with local Afghan fighters had succeeded brilliantly in toppling the Taliban in just two months, and his subsequent Pentagon briefings had become “must-see TV” as he masterfully manhandled the press.