Former U.S. Iraq Commander on Bush's Failure

By: Lowell
Published On: 11/25/2007 8:42:15 AM

Yesterday, Lt. General Ricardo Sanchez, former commander of the Multi-National Force in Iraq, delivered the Democratic response to Dubya's weekly radio address.  Here's an excerpt:

In that capacity, I saw firsthand the consequences of the administration's failure to devise a strategy for victory in Iraq that employed, in a coordinated manner, the political, economic, diplomatic and military power of the United States. That failure continues today. At its base is the mistaken belief, despite years of evidence to the contrary, that victory can be achieved through the application of military power alone.

Exactly right, this Administration apparently never read Clausewitz, because it certainly doesn't seem to understand that war is politics by another means.  To this bunch, war is war is war.  Period.  Politics?  Diplomacy? What are those?  Duhhhh.

More Sanchez, this time on the damage Bush and the Republicans have done to our military:

...It will take the Army at least a decade to repair the damage done to its full-spectrum readiness, which is at its lowest level since the Vietnam War. In the meantime, the ability of our military to fully execute our national security strategy will be called into doubt, producing what is, in my judgment, unacceptable strategic risk.

Let's face it, if a Democrat had been in power while the military was being decimated, Rush and his dittoheads would be gearing up to tar and feather the person in a heartbeat.  But Bush gets a free pass, pretty much.  Gee, I wonder why THAT is.

Meanwhile, as we've been distracted by a leaderless, strategy-less war in Iraq, one that our fighting men and women have done an incredible job at salvaging despite the utter incompetence of their top "leaders," the rest of the world's been falling apart.  Whether it's the Taliban resurgent in Afghanistan, the move "back to the brink in the Balkans, the turmoil in Lebanon, or the absurdly belated stab at Arab-Israeli peace after 7 years of almost criminal neglect (and much bloodshed), the Republicans have proven time and time again that:

a) they are NOT friends of our military or our fighting men (see the Walter Reed scandal;

b) they have absolutely ZERO concept of strategy, Clausewitzian or any other brand;

c) they have no clue about getting us off our addiction to oil from countries that hate us (and that brutally punish victims of gang rape, and that are the main source for terrorist coming into Iraq to kill Americans (not to mention the source of 15 of 19 hijackers on 9/11, plus Osama bin Laden himself)

The bottom line is that Lt. General Sanchez is right about Bush's strategic failure in Iraq.  He just might have added several other countries to the list as well.

P.S.  Whoops, I nearly forgot the Bush Administration's ineffectual and feeble attempts to engage Iran, rather than lead us on a path where there's nothing else to do but either let them get nuclear weapons or "bomb bomb bomb" the country.  Once again, as in so many areas, "HECKUVA JOB, Republicans!"


Comments



Progress in Burma and Antarctica (dsvabeachdems - 11/25/2007 9:09:57 AM)
We neglect credit for that dubious head-fake toward the dissidents in Burma who stand now as dumbfounded and empty-handed as the insurgents in Iraq after Bush I's first Gulf War.

And relations with Antarctica have never been "warmer."



Good point! (Lowell - 11/25/2007 9:17:01 AM)
And don't forget, Bush has improved relations with North Korea, part of his "Axis of Evil," by taking 7 years to get back to exactly where we were under the "Agreed Framework" negotiated by...you guessed it, the Clinton Administration.  I believe this is how Republicans define "progress," going back in time, messing up the things that actually have been working, then spending the rest of their time trying to undo the damage that THEY caused.  Republicans: What a party!  Conservatism: What a philosophy!  Bush:  What a President!


Bush's Failure, Sanchez's Failure (soccerdem - 11/25/2007 10:02:27 AM)
According to Ricks' terrific book Fiasco, Sanchez was no bargain as Commander of the Multi-National Force (that "Force" being 130,000 Americans, a Swedish nurse, an orderly from  Tannu-Tuva, 2 librarians from West Guam, and a batman from Wales).  Ricks painted a very unflattering portrait of the general's abilities, though in Sanchez's post-leadership speaking role he is certainly correct as to the state of our military now.

As for the success of the surge, as I've commented before, Congratulations, Dubbwa.  Arguably, we have defeated Al Quada in Baghdad.  So we are now exactly where we were at the start of this absurd war, with no Al Quada in Baghdad.  Five years to get back to where we started!  Except it cost us 4,000 American troops dead, 10,000+ seriously injured, and a trillion dollars.  Also killed were over 100,000 Iraqi insurgents (including women, kids, infants, grandfathers and grandmothers, a.k.a. either insurgents or collatoral damage).  Wouldn't Robert MacNamara have been pleased at THAT body-count?  All to get us nowhere except to have a bunch of contract corporations enriched with bloody dollars that will now partially flow back to the Chimp-In-Charge's party in the form of campaign contributions.



Actually, it's highly doubtful that the "Al Qaeda" (Lowell - 11/25/2007 10:11:09 AM)
in Iraq has almost any connection but the most tenuous to the Al Qaeda that attacked us on 9/11.  The Bush Administration likes to refer to Al Qaeda as being in Iraq to help justify the war, that's all.  One more issue that the Bush Administration doesn't like to mention is that a large percentage of foreign fighters in Iraq comes not from Iran but from our "ally" Saudi Arabia, which doles out 200 lashes to the female VICTIM of a vicious gang rape!  But remember, the Bushes and the Sauds go way back.


Rick's Book Is An Accurate Assessment (HisRoc - 11/26/2007 7:33:08 PM)
Many military analysts who have followed the Iraq operation from the beginning blame Ric Sanchez for failing to recognize and adequately respond to the insurgency when it began.  For the benefit of those not expereinced in military matters, it is rare for a lieutenant general (three stars) who holds a corps commander position (Sanchez was commanding general of V Corps when his HQ deployed to Iraq) to retire rather than be promoted to four stars.  It is a mild form of being fired.  Hence, Sanchez's criticism of the administration and his former superiors.

BTW, Lowell, before you get too carried away with Sanchez and accuse Bush of leaving the troops with poor leadership after Sanchez was retired, please remember that Sanchez was the commander who presided over the Abu Ghraib abuses.  BG Janis Karpinski, who was disciplined for the abuses, was a direct report to Sanchez and there are published reports that the Abu Ghraib investigating officer, MG Tony Taguba, initially recommended charges against Sanchez. 



A hard future (PM - 11/25/2007 10:39:23 AM)
As I and another commenter wrote earlier in another diary, Stiglitz says in his Vanity Fair article that it will take many years for the U.S. to get out of the financial hole dug by the GOP.  And according to my inside dope on the Middle East, it is going to take several generations to erase the anti-American hatred caused by Bush.

It is interesting that Iran experts see the Iranian president and our Prez as birds of a feather.



Bush and Iran Prez Birds of a Feather, says Vanity Fair article (soccerdem - 11/25/2007 3:36:25 PM)
The article is absolutely correct; both are dodos.


Not So Fast On Sanchez's Heroization, Lowell (HisRoc - 11/27/2007 3:16:12 AM)
http://www.washingto...


Thanks for putting words in my mouth (Lowell - 11/27/2007 7:10:38 AM)
Did I ever say Sanchez was a "hero?"  If so, please cite the exact quote.  No?  Didn't think so.