Well I don't know about unverified Akenaton?

1. When it comes to Donald Rumsfelds employment record it is just that a simple matter of record. According to Folkiedave he was a senior member of Reagan's administration with full authority to speak for the Government of the United States of America. The truth was that he was selected as an unpaid envoy to deliver a letter from President Reagan to Saddam Hussein, while he was in the middle-east. He was not a member of Reagan's administration and he did not have the authority to speak for anyone other than himself.

2. According to Gorgeous George and Folkiedave, Rumsfeld was there to sell arms to Saddam. As stated previously the meeting notes, which were previously classified, are now in the public domain. I have read through the 18 page document, Gorgeous George and Folkiedave obviously have not, because, it conclusively proves that the subject of US arms sales to Iraq did not even enter into the conversation, check it for yourself.

3. "So we were faced with a clearly declared threat by pre-war Iraq....is that a fact?"

Well quite a few thought so at the time and well before that, otherwise Resolution 1441 would never have been passed unanimously (even Syria voted for it). Oh and there was also this to get the perspective of the United States of America:

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/02/17/transcripts/clinton.iraq/