Donald Rumsfeld called for major changes in the Bush administration's strategy in Iraq before he resigned as U.S.defense secretary last month, The New York Times reported on Saturday

"In my view it is time for a major adjustment. Clearly, what U.S. forces are currently doing in Iraq is not working well enough or fast enough," Rumsfeld was quoted as saying in his classified memo dated Nov. 6.

The memo, whose authenticity was confirmed by the Pentagon, was posted by The New York Times on its Internet website on Saturday evening.

Rumsfeld, the oldest ever to serve as defense secretary as well as the youngest defense chief when appointed by former President Gerald Ford in 1975, had been a target of criticism for the U.S. conduct in the Iraq war and the treatment of detainees in U.S. military custody.

His memo puts more weight on the calls urging the Bush administration to make a significant shift in its strategy on Iraq.

Also on Saturday, U.S. President George W. Bush admitted in a radio address the prickly problems his government is faced with in Iraq, saying: "I recognize that the recent violence in Iraq has been unsettling."

"The work ahead will not be easy, yet by helping Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki strengthen Iraq's democratic institutions and promote national reconciliation, our military leaders and diplomats can help put Iraq on a solid path to liberty and democracy," Bush said.

On Nov. 8 when he announced Rumsfeld's resignation, Bush said it was time for a change in Iraq as the U.S. policy in Iraq was "not working well enough, fast enough," which in large part echoed what Mr. Rumsfeld pointed out in his memo.

Source: Xinhua