Asked about the situation today, Rumsfeld admitted there was a resurgence of the Taliban, admitted Taliban fighters were "occupying safe havens" in Pakistan and other places, and admitted that violence has increased recently. Then he blamed it all on the weather:

Does the violence tend to be up during the summer, in the spring, summer and fall months? Yes it does. And it tends to decline during the winter period. Does that represent failed policy? I don’t know. I would say not.

Watch it:

Transcript:

Afghanistan - um, I don’t know who said what about if the Taliban are gone [Ed. note: You did.] but, in fact, the Taliban that were running Afghanistan and ruling Afghanistan were replaced. And they were replaced by an election that took place in that country, and in terms of a government or a governing entity, they were gone, and that’s a fact.

Are there still Taliban around? You bet. Are they occupying safe havens in Afghanistan and other places — correction, in Pakistan and other places? Certainly they are. Is the violence up? Yes. Does the violence tend to be up during the summer, in the spring, summer and fall months? Yes it does. And it tends to decline during the winter period. Does that represent failed policy? I don’t know. I would say not.