General Sanchez on Iraq

“WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 — In a sweeping indictment of the four-year effort in Iraq, the former top commander of American forces there called the Bush administration’s handling of the war “incompetent” and said the result was “a nightmare with no end in sight.”

Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, who retired in 2006 after being replaced in Iraq after the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, blamed the Bush administration for a “catastrophically flawed, unrealistically optimistic war plan” and denounced the current addition of American forces as a “desperate” move that would not achieve long-term stability.

“After more than four years of fighting, America continues its desperate struggle in Iraq without any concerted effort to devise a strategy that will achieve victory in that war-torn country or in the greater conflict against extremism,” General Sanchez said at a gathering of military reporters and editors in Arlington, Va.

He is the most senior war commander of a string of retired officers who have harshly criticized the administration’s conduct of the war. While much of the previous condemnation has been focused on the role of former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, General Sanchez’s was an unusually broad attack on the overall course of the war.

But his own role as commander in Iraq during the Abu Ghraib scandal leaves him vulnerable to criticism that he is shifting the blame from himself to the administration that ultimately replaced him and declined to nominate him for a fourth star, forcing his retirement.

Though he was cleared of wrongdoing in the abuses after an inquiry by the Army’s inspector general, General Sanchez became a symbol — with civilian officials like L. Paul Bremer III, the head of the Coalition Provisional Authority — of ineffective American leadership early in the occupation.

General Sanchez said he was convinced that the American effort in Iraq was failing the day after he took command, in June 2003. Asked why he waited until nearly a year after his retirement to voice his concerns publicly, he responded that it was not the place of active-duty officers to challenge lawful orders from the civilian authorities.

General Sanchez, who is said to be considering writing a book, promised further public statements criticizing officials by name.

“There has been a glaring and unfortunate display of incompetent strategic leadership within our national leaders,” he said, adding that civilian officials have been “derelict in their duties” and guilty of a “lust for power.”

White House officials would not comment directly on General Sanchez’s remarks. “We appreciate his service to the country,” said Kate Starr, a White House spokeswoman.

She noted that Gen. David H. Petraeus, the current top commander in Iraq, and Ryan C. Crocker, the American ambassador to Baghdad, said in their testimony to Congress last month that “there’s more work to be done, but progress is being made in Iraq. And that’s what we’re focused on now.”

General Sanchez has been criticized by some current and retired officers for failing to recognize the growing insurgency in Iraq during his year in command and for failing to put together a plan to unify the disparate military effort, a task that was finally carried out when his successor, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., took over in mid-2004.

General Sanchez included the military and himself among those who made mistakes in Iraq, citing a failure by top commanders to insist on a better post-invasion stabilization plan. He offered a tepid compliment to General Petraeus. The general, he said, could use American troops to gain time in Iraq but could not achieve lasting results.

Michael E. O’Hanlon, a military analyst at the Brookings Institution, criticized General Sanchez for implying in his speech that the current military strategy of relying on additional troops and on protecting the Iraqi people is little different than the strategy employed when he was in command.

Noting that calls by members of Congress for troops were rebuffed by the Bush administration in 2003, Mr. O’Hanlon said, “Sanchez was one of the top military people who condoned that, if not directly, then by his silence.”

General Sanchez’s main criticism was leveled at the Bush administration, which he said failed to mobilize the entire United States government, not just the military, to contribute meaningfully to reconstructing and stabilizing Iraq.

“National leadership continues to believe that victory can be achieved by military power alone,” he said. “Continued manipulations and adjustments to our military strategy will not achieve victory. The best we can do with this flawed approach is stave off defeat.”

Asked after his remarks what strategy he favored, General Sanchez ticked off a series of steps—from promoting reconciliation among Iraq’s warring sectarian factions to building effective Iraqi army and police units — that closely paralleled the list of tasks frequently cited by the Bush administration as the pillars of the current strategy.

General Sanchez, now a Pentagon consultant who trains active-duty generals, said the administration’s biggest failure had been its lack of a detailed strategy for achieving those steps and “synchronizing” the military and civilian contributions.

“The administration, Congress and the entire inter-agency, especially the State Department, must shoulder responsibility for the catastrophic failure, and the American people must hold them accountable,” he said.

His talk on Friday at the annual convention of the Military Reporters and Editors Association was not the first time that General Sanchez has been critical of the administration.

He said in an interview in June with Agence France-Presse that the best the United States could achieve in Iraq would be stalemate. And he drew a standing ovation at a gathering of veterans last month when he argued that the country’s problems in Iraq were the result of a “crisis in national political leadership.”

Though General Sanchez remained on active duty after leaving Iraq in 2004, he never received a fourth star, in part because, though he was popular with Mr. Rumsfeld, the Bush administration feared that his nomination hearings in the Senate would turn into a bitter partisan fight and a public replay of the details of the Abu Ghraib scandal."

-- NY Times


Yet another high ranking general, in a long line of high ranking generals, former cabinet members, political leaders and doughnut makers who are calling Bush, his administration, and the republicans who backed Bush, complete buffoons!

Yet another reason to never listen to a word that the Axis of Idiots or thier ilk have to say.”

“If he's decided to 'come clean,' I'd like to hear him come clean on Abu Ghraib as well.

He did a great job of covering his own ass at the time along with that of Gen. Geoffrey 'Gitmo-ize' Miller (and setting Janis Karpinski up to take the fall).

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/082405Z.shtml”

“Typical corruption, through and though, why do we think this mess is any different from everything 'bigbig' government does? I can't imagine living in a country where everything from day to day always turns out with the same result,'total chaos', but the majority of the people ,still, expect a different result. I've learned in my days on
'TT', those expectations are insanity in its' base form.”

“Wow, look at this, BB found a general that he agrees with. Given all the generals over there I suppose it's inevitable that one would disagree. But of course it wouldn't be cool to quote one of them would it?”

“Yet another disgruntled, insane, terrorist-loving, America-hater speaks out.”

“I think Rick is playing both sides of the street ----”

“Buddha Bear - Apparently you put a lot of credibility in this Generals words.

So, have you changed your view about a pull-out?

Why do I ask?

Sanchez went on to offer a pessimistic view on the current U.S. strategy against extremists will make lasting gains, but said a full-scale withdrawal also was not an option.

"The American military finds itself in an intractable situation ... America has no choice but to continue our efforts in Iraq," said Sanchez, who works as a consultant training U.S. generals.”

“Guilt, what did you put in the ballot box?”

“uncliff, you do a lot of posting after me. Just in case you weren't aware, I have you on ignore, and I don't peek. If you have something to say to me, you're wasting your time.

These people all have one thing in common. They are more interested in making personal attacks against others than contributing to discussion. It tells me they are immature and have nothing important or of value to contribute to the conversations.


Ignore these posters.
xloi812
stewed stomper
hikerboy
uncliff
Tilt
y2
thirdterm”

“Posting to you is a waste of time ,get over being the center and don't expect that comments will not continue to your habit of forcing words into other mouths.”

“Thanks, I forgot to add 'salebored' to that ignore list. You remind me of a crack-baby with a speech impediment.”

“I'll be proud to be on your ignorance list.”

“There's a list?”

“I like the line Bush uses about letting the military decide whats best. Every time he's told something he doesn't want to hear, we have a new guy running things.


He had to do so much General shopping to get someone who would do what he wanted rather than do what was right we ended with the Air Force running a ground war.
last edited: 10/13/07 10:44:44 AM”

“You sure the private armies aren't running the war? I mean, like an electric car without lights can cruise up behind you in the dark? You're listed Term! Oh, these generals all run the, 'look over here public', part of the war, but unlike Kosovo, the other side doesn't belong to the same actors union.”

“I'll bet the Bush Administration would like to demote Gen. Sanchez to dirty sanchez.”

“
"She never came back for some reason...."

”

“"Given all the generals over there I suppose it's inevitable that one would disagree."

-- some Axis of Idiot (they're all the same, really)

Hey stupid, why don't you search "on Iraq" here on TT. Good ole' violin has been creating seperate threads for JUST A FEW of the former generals that have come out and teabagged the Bush Admin. He (violin) would have created this thread too, I just got up earlier today.

BTW - no generals speak out aginst the moronic bush admin while they're on duty, ya dumbarse.

Axis of Idiots - earning thier namesake, daily, hourly, minutely, secondly, millisecondly, with every thought, every word, every post.

You people are truely stupid. Thanks for allowing me to take your post and point it out yet again. :)”

“And Karpinski was an idiot.


While I'm making sweeping generalizations let me add that Bush and 99% of Washington should have kept their collective noses out of Afghan. and Iraq and let the military run the war the way it saw fit. The politicians' involvement should have been limited to giving the troops what they need and shooting down all the bull#&%!$ complaints about the "thousands of innocents killed as a result of brutal American tactics."”

“accountability is a b!tch, innit?”

“Abu Ghraib was blow out of proportion

As with stallwart Larry, the act, was nothing comparede to living up to the ads of freedom issued by the moral highness of the USA.”

“The combat military generals do not have a full picture of what we are doing in the m.e.

I've said this many times, it's an intelligence operation.

something that Katie "look at my legs" Couric, and therefore 99% of you,
won't talk about.
last edited: 10/13/07 11:25:27 PM”

“Yes.... torture is the new standard of American behavior (as long as Republicans are in power).  It's the the most effective recruiting tool al-Qaeda could have possibly wished for.

Congratulations.  

But you better be ready for the next wave of terrorists you've helped create.”

“Someone must be smoking all that intelligence we gather, because we nodoubt are getting dumber.”

“But you better be ready for the next wave of terrorists you've helped create.”
thirdterm
2:46:00 AM
10/14/07

It's always America's fault, isn't it?”

“Sorry, but that's just dumb.

Why make excuses for every criminal thing someone may do by wrapping it in the flag?  Stick your head in the sand and pretend it didn't happen.  Pretend there aren't Real consequences to garbage like that.

Try not to be an accessory after the fact.”

“That has to be one of the worst piece of reporting ever.

Take the time to read General Sanchez's actual statements. He is mad at everybody. He particularly blasts the media. He tosses a grenade at the Democrats too.

You would not know this from that article. The facts are changed to protect the guilty.”

“Where did that article come from bacpac?

Oh, n/m, the NYT. typical”

“Just punching back in, trollarge?

You used the Washington Post earlier, now you don't agree with the MSM?

Typical dumper.”

“One of the most telling and LEAST reported parts of his statement

SINCE 2003, THE POLITICS OF WAR HAVE BEEN CHARACTERIZED BY PARTISANSHIP AS THE REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC PARTIES STRUGGLED FOR POWER IN WASHINGTON. NATIONAL EFFORTS TO DATE HAVE BEEN CORRUPTED BY PARTISAN POLITICS THAT HAVE PREVENTED US FROM DEVISING EFFECTIVE, EXECUTABLE, SUPPORTABLE SOLUTIONS. AT TIMES, THESE PARTISAN STRUGGLES HAVE LED TO POLITICAL DECISIONS THAT ENDANGERED THE LIVES OF OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS ON THE BATTLEFIELD. THE UNMISTAKABLE MESSAGE WAS THAT POLITICAL POWER HAD GREATER PRIORITY THAN OUR NATIONAL SECURITY OBJECTIVES. OVERCOMING THIS STRATEGIC FAILURE IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD ACHIEVING VICTORY IN IRAQ - WITHOUT BIPARTISAN COOPERATION WE ARE DOOMED TO FAIL. THERE IS NOTHING GOING ON TODAY IN WASHINGTON THAT WOULD GIVE US HOPE.

the caps are straight from his report

http://www.militaryreporters.org/sanchez_101207.html”

“Sorry, but that's just dumb.

Why make excuses for every criminal thing someone may do by wrapping it in the flag? Stick your head in the sand and pretend it didn't happen. Pretend there aren't Real consequences to garbage like that.

Try not to be an accessory after the fact.”
thirdterm
8:59:51 PM
10/14/07

I'm not wrapping anything in the flag. Aren't you guilty of the same thing you accuse me of when you make excuses for terrorists by automatically blaming the U.S.? Why make excuses for every criminal thing terrorists do by blaming it on the actions of Americans?

Try not to be a sheep blindly following what you read in The Nation
last edited: 10/16/07 6:24:09 PM”

“Oh, I do?  Really?

Sorry --- that's total bull#&%!$.

But I must tell you, truthfully, your glossing over Abu Ghraib as you have in such a cavalier manner makes me wonder what interrogation techniques the Kentucky State Patrol employs these days.”

“You'd have to ask someone who worked for the Kentucky State Patrol, and it hasn't existed for quite some time.


And don't call bull#&%!$ when someone gives you a dose of your own medicine--it's so unbecoming.
last edited: 10/16/07 7:54:57 PM”

“The Nation. LOL!”

“thirdterm, the investigation of Abu Ghraib was completed a long time ago. Why don't you check the record, get the facts and stop spreading lies.”

“Tilty has to fall back on the Liberal song and dance (its easier than thinking for himself)

The sad truth is that Abu Ghraib was nothing serious, in comparison of say our treatment of Japanese Prisoners in the Second World War.

The deal has always been we treat the enemy prisoners with respect in an effort to get our POWs treated the same way. Given the horrifying way the Islamo Fascists treat our people, the Convention should be shelved. Either that or issue the order to take no prisoners.”

“The price of oil tells the story girls . You can throw chit at each other all day with no result. All the details , the bean counting and complicated secret nonsence that always appears when the army of writters have to write something ,so, something they write. When you have more writters and readers than you have people that actually do or produce something- you civilization is in trouble.

I think being at the beginning of the boomers and having been a young adult through the Viet Nam era and having an anti-war WWII vet father make my views very different from most of you. My father ask only two things of me; Never work on an automobile and never leave this country in a military uniform.

Almost forgot one of my dads quotes,'Laws aren't written to keep the honest- honest, they already are. They're are written to give jobs to those that aren't affraid to get caught'.
last edited: 10/17/07 5:12:42 AM”

“I'm so very glad my father didn't feel that way.”

“You certainly wouldn't have wanted him to be waiting for you to invade his country and it was this country.”

“Hmmmm, somebody's dad must be a pro-war WWII non-vet.

Good advice, Cliff.”

“Uncliff...I think Hillary just said she would go to war if Iran blockaded the oil....So that argument is moot for the libbies (or didn't you get the briefing notes yet (LOL)).

We had a neat call on a talk show yesterday in this area. A hispanic former senior NCO who knew Sanchez and is saying Sanchez ignored his staff advice on the war and got passed over for a fourth Star...this whole thing (the caller predicted) will be a "I got blocked from COS of the Army becuase I am hispanic" whine in the making....(LOL)”

“Sanchez has serious ethical problems.  Two years ago, his nose was so far up George's butt you couldn't tell where one stopped and the other began.

Some people are still like that.”

“Yah yah , Ron Paul's a libby.Oh, yah yah.”

“LOL...tilty loved Ronnie Few.....”

“We got rid of him.

What's Ben Harbin up to these days?  Defensive Driving School?  Rehab?  Divorce Court?

(and Still preaching "Family Values"?     LOL)”

“LOL...don't know, but at least he didn't leave a girl to drown in his car.

Course when your hero SIR CHARLES got burned for like 120 federal crimes I didn't notice a whole lot of angst or condemnation from the left..but then thats the whole

SOME are more equal than others right?
last edited: 10/17/07 9:46:18 AM”

“Third term is Tilt?

"That's it! That's IT! Einhorn is Finkle! FINKLE is EINHORN! EINHORN is a MAN!?!"”

“Personally I think all the generals coming out is a matter of CYA before the politicians get a chance to hang the generals out to dry. Screw them before they can screw us.”