US can forget about winning in Iraq: top retired general

[jefferson_dem]

Source: AFP

The man who commanded US-led coalition forces during the first year of the Iraq war says the United States can forget about winning the war.

"I think if we do the right things politically and economically with the right Iraqi leadership we could still salvage at least a stalemate, if you will -- not a stalemate but at least stave off defeat," retired Army Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez said in an interview.

Sanchez, in his first interview since he retired last year, is the highest-ranking former military leader yet to suggest the Bush administration has fallen short in Iraq.

"I am absolutely convinced that America has a crisis in leadership at this time," Sanchez told AFP after a recent speech in San Antonio, Texas.

"We've got to do whatever we can to help the next generation of leaders do better than we have done over the past five years, better than what this cohort of political and military leaders have done," adding that he was "referring to our national political leadership in its entirety" - not just President George W. Bush.

Sanchez called the situation in Iraq bleak, which he blamed on "the abysmal performance in the early stages and the transition of sovereignty."

<SNIP>

Read more: http://rawstory.com/news/afp/US_can_forget_about_winning_in_Iraq_06032007.html

[John Q. Citizen]

1. Better late than never, I guess. 'Course I'm not sure what he was allowed to say while

he was on active duty, except for "yes sir, no sir.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. I find it interesting that this old lady,

with no military experience but with a decent grasp of history, figured out in 2003 that it was very likely to end up in the mess it has become. Matter of fact, most of the aging hippies and peaceniks I hang around with did, too. I sincerely wish I wasn't in the position to say "I told you so", but sadly I am.

[AbsolutNickUSN]

3. Stay the Course, Reverse Course, or Change Course?

What I don't understand is why the only other option presented is to back away from Iraq. You'll get little argument that mistakes were made however, Perhaps it is just me but I would think the logical course of action is to fix said mistakes rather than an all out abandonment of the project. My greatest concern is that while "stay the course" isn't a viable option a plan for withdrawl doesn't necessarily answer the concern for some measure of security in Iraq that would frustrate Al Qaida influence.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. That may be logical , but with the schnooks in charge

I don't think anyone in the WH or this Administration is capable of fixing mistakes--they can only make them. Besides, I don't trust them to really care about fixing anything they've done. That's not their agenda, and never has been.

[gravity]

14. Everything they touch just gets worst

I don't think Iraq will be solved until 2009 when new leadership comes into office.

I believe Iraq can be semi-salvageable, if for once we put the interest of Iraqis over our own business interest, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

[jamesinca]

20. I am reading "American Theocracy"

Very interesting the picture he paints in the very first chapter. With the Democrats willing to cave into the current president and Hillary still thinking Iraq is a good idea, I don't see any change even in 2009. If she is not president, she will be a loud voice in the senate.

[Wesin04]

21. The next president

The next president elected will be the one who gets this debacle to deal with as nothing will be "won" or solved in the remaining time Bush has. He will see to that. But I'd expand the comment about whether Iraq can be salvaged to include the region. This will not be solved by focusing on Iraq alone and it sure has heck won't be solved if we only focus on military action. It is much broader than that. This is why the next president had better have a firm grasp of the region, the people, the culture, the leaders, the implications of every move we make because it is crucial to our future as a nation and as part of the global community to get this right.

[MadMaddie]

7. I agree with Ayeshahaqqiqa

If we had different leadership in the WH we might have a chance to salvage something, anything...

These guys are so inept...they still do not have a viable plan B.....I would be even leary of this group even trying to plan a withdrawel.....everything they have touched has turned to shit...

Our soldiers have been put in a very bad situation by this administration...there is no easy answer at this point.

Sigh...

[bemildred]

8. These guys couldn't pour piss from a boot with instructions on the heel.

(Not every day you get to use that and mean it.)
:-)

[NOLALady]

11. Somehow

I have a hard time believing that this administration is concerned about fixing said mistakes. Nor can I believe they are concerned about Bin Laden's influence.
If they were concerned about fixing mistakes, they would be rebuilding the infrastructure they destroyed instead of building a wall.
If they were concerned about Bin Laden's influence, they would not be in Iraq. They would be in Afghanistan.

They ARE very concerned about their brand new Embassy and the 14 new bases.

JMHO

[Amonester]

18. Don't forget... "their".... ummm... how to say? $tinky... planet-

destroying... oil.

Yes... "Their" dirty, $tinky, planet-destroying oil they are concerned about to the point they don't care at all sending our young dudes they don't care about for them chickenhawk have-more's can steal it away from the Iraqi people 'n ship it to China (or Saudi Arabia first, 'n then China+Japan+Indonesia+Australia?) 'n pile up gigantic stashes of golden cash with which they can run away from the IRS faster than dick chainy can shoot one of his yesmen in the face...

Methinks it's the only plan they are very concerned about (as long as they'll be able to charge the U.S. taxpayers for every other things you mentionned).

[gravity]

15. I agree

If we have a plan for withdrawal, we need to have a plan to peacefully transition the government to the Iraqi people too.

Just letting the country collapse into anarchy and having a civil war settle who is going to rule the country is just going to make the situation even worst than it is now.

[bemildred]

4. Yep, we told 'em, but they didn't want to be part of the "reality based" community. nt

[calimary]

6. No kidding. Same here. That's been my complaint all along also. If I knew this stuff,

and/or was able to find out this stuff, WHAT THE FUCK WAS WRONG WITH THE REST OF 'EM??????? And I'm not even in the news business anymore, which means I have no inside knowledge or contacts, no tipsters, no nothing. And I still knew. So did countless others here and elsewhere in the progressive movement. WE KNEW. The information was out there and available to ANYBODY who cared to look even a couple of millimeters below the surface, or to ask even ONE extra question. WE KNEW. It was there for the reading and learning and enlightening. It was ALL there. Which is why I have NO sympathy WHATSOEVER for the Washington Press Corpse. NONE. Their gross dereliction of duty is positively INEXCUSABLE. And damned near unforgivable.

[defendandprotect]

9. Going for a "stalemenate" how many die?????

QUOTE: "I think if we do the right things politically and economically with the right Iraqi leadership we could still salvage at least a stalemate, if you will -- not a stalemate but at least stave off defeat," retired Army Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez said in an interview.

While I admire what Sanchez is trying to do, it's amazing that he's still thinking of a "stalemate" without mentioning how many US troops and how many Iraqis would be dead in the gap--

How does he miss that reality?

[saigon68]

10. Thousands in fact tens of thousands will die

Thousands of Slimey, cowardly millionaire War criminals like Cheney will slither up to feed from the public trough

[Palladin]

12. Opinions of high military command

Among his other accomplishments, Bush has completely destroyed his credibility among US flag rank officers. Hard to have respect for a so-called C-in-C who gets his plans from AEI and the obese armchair warriors Kagan, Doug Feith, Paul Wolfowitz, Michael Ledeen, and Richard Perle. The US officer corps know what Bush is, nuthin' but a dumb privileged draft-dodgin' bullshittin' Ivy frat rat. Not a macho man at all, despite the pose. Not even the man his pa was. The general's statement is another instance of the Permanent Government taking over and showimg it, similar to Admiral Fallon's semi-public refusal to provoke an Iran war on his watch as CentCom commander. Wonder if the Democratic candidates are really wise to what's going on here - and whether they agree. Because it will still be going on, no matter which one of them gets elected. Bush-Cheney have clearly demonstrated the folly and danger of sticking with an incompetent and corrupted "Decider" to the officer corps.

[arewenotdemo]

13. Kagan, Doug Feith, Paul Wolfowitz, Michael Ledeen, and Richard Perle

should all be hung together, using Israeli flags, with the Star Spangled Banner playing.

[Maraya1969]

16. I still don't understand who they are supposed to win against?

[Socal31]

WTF?

WTF does "winning" in Iraq mean anymore? Ill consider it a victory if we get every soldier back home.

[Socal31]

17. Sorry...

Clicked Twice. Sorry for double post.

[radfringe]

19. "someone needs to save them from themselves"

We watched the movie "The Queen" with Helen Mirriam this weekend. It was about Diana's death and how the "royal family" (specificaly the Queen) handled it.

Public disapproval grew daily at the lack of some sort of public statement by the Queen. There was one scene which struck me, the Tony Blair character and his staff were discussing the event and going over the newspaper headlines, TV news stories all asking where was the Queen, why no statmement

In reference to the perceived silence from the Queen, Blair says "Someone needs to save them from themselves"

Although bush has not been silent about the Iraq mess, he has basically ignored the views of the people, taking a "who cares what you think" attitude. Toss in the general White House response to Gonzo-gate and other scandals of "no comment on an on-going investigation" and it's essentially an administration living in a lead-lined bubble.

It made me wonder if anyone in Congress or even from within the white house is thinking the same thing - "someone has to save them from themselves"

The 3-month surge has now been extended to a 6-month surge, and from various statements about reassessing "progress" in September based on an expected report from Petraeus - the WH spin looks like the surge will be extended well past September.

[Barrett808]

22. k & r

[Gregorian]

23. You cannot win an invasion.

[ckramer]

24. "transition of sovereignty" is only red-herring

US Invasion of Iraq is the root cause of insurgency.