Rumsfeld twice offered to resign during Abu Gharib scandal

Rumsfeld twice offered to resign during Abu Ghraib scandal
Thursday, February 3, 2005 Posted: 6:27 PM EST (2327 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld says he twice offered President Bush his resignation during the height of the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal, but the president refused to accept it.

In an interview to be aired Thursday night on CNN's "Larry King Live," Rumsfeld says: "I submitted my resignation to President Bush twice during that period and told him that ... I felt that he ought to make the decision as to whether or not I stayed on. And he made that decision and said he did want me to stay on."

Last April, photos surfaced showing U.S. troops abusing Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad, sparking a furor internationally and on Capitol Hill.

In the middle of the controversy, Rumsfeld appeared before Congress and said he took "full responsibility" for what had happened, and he said he would step down from his post if he thought he could no longer be effective.

Bush then publicly expressed confidence in Rumsfeld.

After Bush was re-elected in November, he asked Rumsfeld to remain at the helm of the Defense Department.

CNN's Jamie McIntyre contributed to this report.