“A nightmare with no end in sight”
In a sweeping indictment of the four-year effort in Iraq, the former top commander of American forces there Friday called the Bush administration’s handling of the war “incompetent” and said the result is “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, accused the Bush administration of 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,” Sanchez said at a gathering of military reporters and editors in Arlington, Va. …
San Jose Mercury News – General denounces Bush war policy
Bill,
I said you’ve shown no prior indication of being one of the “sheeple”. Your post mimicked the stuff coming straight from the MSM so I was confused by it. I should have guessed that you had read the source material and had just come to the same conclusion as they had. Please accept my apologies.
For myself, I found his indictments far more broad ranging than just the Bush administration. To my mind he equally bashed ALL of the government for making this war about internal US politics rather than about achieving a goal.
I understand your point, but I disagree that the war is about US politics, except insofar as our political system in general relates to what the Russians call “business oligarchs.” This war is about redistributing tax money and the proceeds of international loans to corporations, plain and simple. It didn’t matter how it was prosecuted, because winning would only have been a bonus. It was spending the money that was the whole point.
Besides, “Bushies” made it a catchier headline.
Bill,
You’re an intelligent man and I’ve seen little indication that you’re one of the”sheeple” who take what the media says as gospel. This post seems a little out of character.
Please visit http://www.militaryreporters.org/sanchez_101207.html It contains the full transcript of the General’s speech. It may change your opinion of what he actually said, or it may not. either way it will be your opinion of the meaning of the source material
John
Actually, I had read it prior to making the post. I thought the CNN coverage was far more succinct, and quite accurate. They did not, of course, bother to cover the general’s whining about the way the press has treated him personally — but that was hardly pertinent to the issue of the post, in any case.
I ask the rest of you reading this to, by all means, go to the link John has provided and see what you think. Gen. Sanchez’s remarks about the war and its prosecution begin about 2/3 of the way down.
As to “sheeple,” John, I may be the only sheeple you know who stopped going to Mensa meetings because he found the people shallow and boring. The post is far from out of character. I protested against the war before it began, when it began, and have been a staunch peacenik ever since. I like to think of it as character, not sheepishness.