Former Top US Commander In Iraq Calls War "Nightmare With No End In Sight"

New York Times:

In a sweeping indictment of the four-year effort in Iraq, the former top American commander called the Bush administration's handling of the war incompetent and warned that the United States was "living a nightmare with no end in sight."

In one of his first major public speeches since leaving the Army in late 2006, retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez blamed the administration for a "catastrophically flawed, unrealistically optimistic war plan" and denounced the current "surge" strategy as a "desperate" move that will not achieve long-term stability.

"After more than fours 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," Mr. Sanchez said, at a gathering here of military reporters and editors.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[Purple Girl]

NOW START TALKING ABOUTH THE ILLEGAL STUFF !!!
Great he is willing to finally see the errors of their ways (just as culpable), but he needs to start giving proof of their treason. Then I'll lend him my ear. Otherwise you're just trying to cover your ass- not gonna happen buddy. Keep him name on the list for indictment for treason.Stupidity nor ignorance is a viable defense. He was derelct in his duty to protect & defend the Constitution and the people of our great country. His duty is not to the President it is to US! He failed through compliance, therefore complicity.

[BrokenMirror]

How many times, and from how many reputable sources, do the neocon Bush worshippers have to hear this before it finally sinks in?! Will they now work diligently to swiftboat and disrespect General Sanchez the same way they have relentlessly abased decorated war veterans like Kerry and Murtha? Has America finally caught on to the colossal sham that is neocon patriotism?

[larryfishkorn]

Maybe... just maybe a "nightmare without end" was their goal all along. Privatized military, $80-plus a barrel oil, the opposition party neutralized under the claims of anti-patriotism, wire-tapping, renditions... anything else I left out?

[mamacat]

Another in a long list of retired U.S. generals who have decided not to Betray Us.

All it took was a decision to honor his oath to protect and defend the constitution, which he was able to do by telling the truth.

[PollM]

Cowboys with the lust for power. Shoot first ask question later.

In your opinion do you believe the U.S. will exit Iraq having achieved its goals or failed in its goals? --> http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=698
.

[ManyColored]

Anybody but the delusional, power-mad, tunnel-visioned, and blindly patriotic should have been able to foresee the result in Iraq. To send troops to die into a country that was immorally and illegally invaded, and lie about it, as well as destroying the country in the process, is so blatantly wrong that it is impossible to overstate the damage that has been done. The Bush administration is a national catastrophe and tragedy; the Democratic Party is useless, and what is more, complicit. The Republicans are mad. The media is corrupt. The Armed Forces have been decimated. Our economy is staggering to the tune of a total cost to the taxpayers of over a trillion dollars when this ends with an inevitable defeat. This country, all of us, will pay a heavy price for many, many years.

[PollM]

Cowboys with the lust for power. Shoot first ask question later.

In your opinion do you believe the U.S. will exit Iraq having achieved its goals or failed in its goals? --> http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=698
.

[GhostintheMachine]

BAGHDAD - The civilian death toll in Iraq fell to its lowest level in recent memory Saturday, with only four people killed or found dead nationwide, according to reports from police, morgue officials and credible witnesses.

ADVERTISEMENT

Saturday marked the beginning of the Eid al-Fitr feast for Shiites, the three-day capstone closing out the Ramadan month of fasting. Sunnis began celebrating the holiday on Sunday.

The daily number of civilians killed, not including those on days when there were massive casualties from car bombs, had climbed above 100 at the end of last year and the beginning of 2007.

Saturday's decline in deaths was in line with a sharp drop in September of both Iraqi civilian and U.S. military fatalities.

The four dead included three death squad victims found in Baghdad and the bodyguard of the Kirkuk police commander who was killed in a roadside bombing.

[NorthernCross]

Hmm, the man also lambasts the left-leaning MSM, and yet I could find no mention of that in the article. Wonder why that is...

"ALL ARE VICTIMS OF THE MASSIVE AGENDA DRIVEN COMPETITION FOR ECONOMIC OR POLITICAL SUPREMACY. THE DEATH KNELL OF YOUR ETHICS HAS BEEN ENABLED BY YOUR PARENT ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO ALIGN THEMSELVES WITH POLITICAL AGENDAS. WHAT IS CLEAR TO ME IS THAT YOU ARE PERPETUATING THE CORROSIVE PARTISAN POLITICS THAT IS DESTROYING OUR COUNTRY AND KILLING OUR SERVICEMEMBERS WHO ARE AT WAR."

- Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, on MSM's reporting of the war
October 12, 2007

[thatsitfortheotherone]

Hmm, the man also lambasts the left-leaning MSM, and yet I could find no mention of that in the article. Wonder why that is...


Maybe it's because you are posting on one of the last remaining shreds of the "left-leaning MSM."

Or maybe because the gist of what he is saying has nothing to do with the leanings of the media in the USA. And what he did say about the media sounds to me like an indictment of BillO, Rush and Annie, not the lefties.

( . )

[GhostintheMachine]

BAGHDAD - The civilian death toll in Iraq fell to its lowest level in recent memory Saturday, with only four people killed or found dead nationwide, according to reports from police, morgue officials and credible witnesses.

ADVERTISEMENT

Saturday marked the beginning of the Eid al-Fitr feast for Shiites, the three-day capstone closing out the Ramadan month of fasting. Sunnis began celebrating the holiday on Sunday.

The daily number of civilians killed, not including those on days when there were massive casualties from car bombs, had climbed above 100 at the end of last year and the beginning of 2007.

Saturday's decline in deaths was in line with a sharp drop in September of both Iraqi civilian and U.S. military fatalities.

The four dead included three death squad victims found in Baghdad and the bodyguard of the Kirkuk police commander who was killed in a roadside bombing.

[mikmik]

Yeah, maybe by 2013 or 2025 someone will do something, like send a bill with troop withdrawl plans to the WH.

[KYJurisDoctor]

What is WRONG with folks like General Sanchez:

http://osi-speaks.blogspot.com/2007/10/trouble-with-folks-like-general-sanchez.html#links

[NoahVail]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Note uninformed garbage above....

[coyote4]

yah, I was wondering about the crap filtering down, myself too.......

[bushmocker]

As soon as I saw the banner I knew it would be a smear campaign.I don't know anything about Gen. Sanchez but I do know a little about Trolls.Demsrnuts,is out of his mind pissed and has already started the racial slurs,just your run of the mill trailer trash KKK Nazi.Keep up the good work Demsrnuts,I need a good laugh before bedtime.

[demsrnuts]

But in the battle for military backing for the war, Republicans have their own support teams. VFW Executive Director Bob Wallace, who personally handed the petition to House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said the petition comes at an important time.

"I think the positive thing of it is, is they get to hear it from the troops. I mean, nobody's made anybody sign this petition," Wallace said.

Wallace said the petition's organizers, Navy Lt. Jason Nichols of Florida, and Army Staff Sgt. David Thule, a member of the Minnesota National Guard, are both stationed in Iraq and decided the petition was the best way to show congressional leaders that the Iraq war is the right fight and that the troops need Congress' support to complete their mission. They approached Wallace two weeks ago about the petition.

Wallace said he spoke earlier Wednesday with Nichols, who is stationed in Baghdad, and asked him his thoughts on the objective of the petition.

"His response was very simple: To win the war," Wallace said. Wallace said that Nichols told him media coverage has focused too negatively on the war, and it is important for Americans and Congress need to know otherwise.

"He said we are winning the people and people need to know that," Wallace said.

The "Appeal for Courage" petition reads: "As an American currently serving my nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to fully support our mission in Iraq and halt any calls for retreat. I also respectfully urge my political leaders to actively oppose media efforts which embolden my enemy while demoralizing American support at home."

It ends: "The War in Iraq is necessary and just effort to bring freedom to the Middle East and protect America from further attack."

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Yawn.

[bushmocker]

Sign Z papers

[thatsitfortheotherone]

Wallace said the petition's organizers, Navy Lt. Jason Nichols of Florida, and Army Staff Sgt. David Thule, a member of the Minnesota National Guard, are both stationed in Iraq ...


Funny thing is, when I was active duty, I never heard of anybody trying to publicly suck cock in front of the Capitol to enhance their careers. Or did I?

Hmmm.

( . )

[Nyland8]

lol

""I think the positive thing of it is, is they get to hear it from the troops. I mean, nobody's made anybody sign this petition," Wallace said."

Yes. As I recall, we heard from "the troops" during the last election cycle. They ran for public office in unheard of numbers ...

... on the Democratic ticket ...

... on a platform opposing the war.

I guess this never occurred to the revisionist Wallace. And it's too late to manipulate the American public with inflamatory language. We illegally and immorally occupy a foreign nation with no justification. When we leave, it will not be "retreat" ... it will be coming to our senses and yielding to the will of the American people.

8

.

[demsrnuts]

FORT WALTON BEACH — Two retired major generals believe American military might and diplomacy could reverse Iraq’s slide toward disintegration now that the Bush administration has the right people in place.

U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker and Multi-National Forces-Iraq commander Gen. David H. Petraeus are capable men, say Richard Secord and Ed Scholes.

Scholes, a retired Army major general, has known Petraeus for years. The friends e-mail each other periodically, and Scholes even visited Petraeus in Baghdad about five months ago shortly after the general took command.

[TJoad]

Ha! Ha! He! He!

Richard Secord!?! The convicted felon of Iran-Contra disrupte? That Richard Secord!?!

Ed Scholes? "Visited" Iraq did he? Wow. I guess he's much more qualifiied to pass judgment on the Iraq war than Sanchez, who, after all, was only the top military commander fighting in Iraq, so what the heck does he know.

You righty trolls certainly are scraping below the bottom of the barrell to maintain your delusions.

Ha! Ha! He! He!

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Other than demonstrating the proper use of Ctrl-V, your point?

[olivia]

When does General BetrayUs retire? We have to wait until they retire to hear the real opinions of these military people entrusted with the lives of our soldiers - and us.

[thatsitfortheotherone]

Just so, big O. These guys didn't wade through the muck for 30 years just to get fired for disagreeing with the pretzelmeister.

Sad but true. Integrity, honesty and forthrightness get easier to find when nobody is holding a blade over your head. Or over your wallet, either.