Former Iraq Commander Faults Bush
13 October Washington Post - Former Iraq Commander Faults Bush by Josh White.
Quote:
Retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, who led U.S. forces in Iraq for a year after the March 2003 invasion, accused the Bush administration yesterday of going to war with a "catastrophically flawed" plan and said the United States is "living a nightmare with no end in sight."
Sanchez also bluntly criticized the current troop increase in Iraq, describing it as "a desperate attempt by the administration that has not accepted the political and economic realities of this war."
"The administration, Congress and the entire interagency, especially the State Department, must shoulder the responsibility for this catastrophic failure, and the American people must hold them accountable," Sanchez told military reporters and editors. "There has been a glaring unfortunate display of incompetent strategic leadership within our national leaders."
Sanchez lashed out specifically at the National Security Council, calling officials there negligent and incompetent, without offering details. He also blasted war policies over the past four years, which he said had stripped senior military officers of responsibility and thus thrust the armed services into an "intractable position" in Iraq.
"The best we can do with this flawed approach is stave off defeat," Sanchez said in a speech to the Military Reporters and Editors' annual conference in Crystal City. "Without bipartisan cooperation, we are destined to fail. There is nothing going on in Washington that would give us hope." ...
Retired General Upgrades War to ‘Nightmare’ Status
"In related news, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said President George Bush is considering a plan to form a Retired Officer Strike Force to “take advantage of the wisdom and insight that some of our military leaders gain once they leave their jobs.”
" “The president thinks it’s a shame,” said Ms. Perino, “that we don’t get some of the best strategic analysis from our officers until they retire and hit the public speaking circuit.” "
http://www.scrappleface.com/?p=2731
Well, one report I read said that he had
claimed his reporting date to Baghdad was the day things started downhill. Too hard on himself; that downhill trend started the day Bremer reported. Sanchez just exacerbated it...
This, after all, is the guy that waltzed a week or so late into Kosovo and then, I've been told, put out an edict that any patrols going out would be accompanied by a Field Grade Officer.
Beating up on your Intel folks and demanding more Intel is sort of a guarantee of excess. Shooters of messengers rarely realize how much damage they do to themselves and their job.
Scary. Even more scary is that he's apparently working BCTP. The Onion may be more correct than they know... :mad:
What he said when he was in charge
In January 2004 Gen. Sanchez said, "I really believe that the only way we are going to lose here, is if we walk away from it like we did in Vietnam."
They may, probably are simply because they
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rank amateur
I've said it before, but it seems like generals are more willing to sacrifice their lives than their pension. I don't know why your being so hard on Sanchez. From a distance, it seem to be part of the Pentagon's culture. (Unless you're suggesting that he should keep his mouth shut, but if the public doesn't learn what mistakes were made they're going to believe that future wars will turn out like OIF and I don't see how that is good for anyone.)
know that the system will take care of their family if they die but if they just resign in protest, their family will be out in the cold with no protection and that grand protest and resignation will make not a lick of difference -- the same system will just find another guy to do it. Plus, as I said before; their egos get in the way.
He's a target because he made a number of errors on an operational and command basis, he's just being called on them. He shouldn't keep his mouth shut, he or any of the others. It would be nice though if all were a trifle more honest. :o
You appear to have more faith in the desire for and retention of military knowledge on the part of the public than I have. :wry:
First impression of General Ricardo Sanchez
My first impression of General Sanchez was when I saw him being interviewed on August 19, 2003 at the site of the UN bombing that killed Sergio de Mello.
As I recall, the general was so emotionally wrought that I thought then, "what the hell was he doing in charge?" Unfortunatly, his lattest appearence has only reinforced that opinion.
When you are the guy in charge, you have to steel yourself for the worst scenario, and always maintain control of yourself in public. I do not question General Sanchez's personal courage. I do question the process that put him in a position that turned out to be way over his level of experience or ability.
Just the single opinion of someone who saw leaders keep it together under the worst of times in VN, and those who did not.
Doing the Lynndie On His Political Demise
Abu Ghraib - he's shot himself in the foot trying to garnish any favor from the masses -he's trying to get a job if Hillary gets elected, she referenced him in a recent speech, but he was giving the ol' positive take on things when Lynndie was giving the 2 thumbs up on detainees
http://badgas.co.uk/lynndie/