In a new biography, former President George H.W. Bush took several unexpected jabs at Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld for the way they handled the 9/11 terror attacks while working under his son's, George W. Bush, administration.

According to Jon Meacham, the author of "Destiny And Power: The American Odyssey Of George Herbert Walker Bush," the 41st president thought that Cheney and Rumsfeld were too hawkish in their reaction to Sept. 11, reports Fox News. As a result, Bush says their harsh stance hurt the world's view of the United States.

Bush said that Cheney, who served as his defense secretary under his own administration, changed after he was elected as vice president under George W. Bush in 2001.

"He just became very hard-line and very different from the Dick Cheney I knew and worked with," said the senior Bush.

"The reaction (to Sept. 11), what to do about the Middle East. Just iron-a-s. His seeming knuckling under to the real hard-charging guys who want to fight about everything, use force to get our way in the Middle East," Bush told Meacham.

The ex-president added that Cheney acted too independently of his son by creating a national security team in his own office. He went on to suggest that Cheney's tough and inflexible stance was influenced by his wife and daughter, Lynne and Liz Cheney.

"You know, I've concluded that Lynne Cheney is a lot of the eminence grise here ... tough as nails, driving," Bush is quoted as saying.

In response, Cheney told Fox News that his wife and daughter played no part in his conservative views.

"My family was not conspiring to somehow turn me into a tougher, more hardnosed individual. I got there all by myself," said the former vice president.

He added that he takes Bush's description of him as "iron-a-s" "as a mark of pride."

"The attack on 9/11 was worse than Pearl Harbor, in terms of the number people killed, and the amount of damage done. I think a lot of people believed then, and still believe to this day that I was aggressive in defending, in carrying out what I thought were the right policies," said Cheney.

Bush, however, was even more critical of Rumsfeld, who served as secretary of defense for most of his son's tenure in the White House.

"I don't like what he did, and I think it hurt the President," said Bush.

"I've never been that close to him anyway. There's a lack of humility, a lack of seeing what the other guy thinks. He's more kick ass and take names, take numbers. I think he paid a price for that. Rumsfeld was an arrogant fellow," he was quoted as saying in the biography.

Nevertheless, W. Bush issued a statement on Thursday, defending Cheney and Rumsfeld, two key figures in his presidency.

"I am proud to have served with Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld. Dick Cheney did a superb job as Vice President, and I was fortunate to have him by my side throughout my presidency. Don Rumsfeld ably led the Pentagon and was an effective Secretary of Defense. I am grateful to both men for their good advice, selfless service to our country, and friendship," he said.