Someone elses character the Neo-cons can attack!!!


Font Size: Decrease Increase Print Page: Print Geoff Elliott, Washington correspondent | October 15, 2007
THE Bush administration has been attacked for its handling of the Iraq war by a top former US general, who said Iraq was a "nightmare with no end in sight".

Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, who commanded coalition forces in Iraq for a year beginning in June 2003, delivered a harsh critique of the Bush team's civilian leadership, joining a long list of retired military officials going public over what they see as failed policies in Iraq.

The attack comes as the White House had won back some political momentum in Washington on the war.

"The administration, Congress and the entire inter-agency, especially the State Department, must shoulder responsibility for this catastrophic failure, and the American people must hold them accountable" the retired General Sanchez told US military reporters.

"There has been a glaring unfortunate display of incompetent strategic leadership within our national leaders."

General Sanchez focused on the political and military failures in Iraq that helped foment the insurgency - noting, for instance, the disbanding of Saddam Hussein's military forces after the invasion, the US failure to establish rapport with tribal leaders and other critical lapses.

And despite indications that the 30,000-strong surge in forces that George W. Bush ordered in January has shown signs of success in quelling violence, General Sanchez described the effort as a "desperate attempt" to make up for years of misguided policies in Iraq.

"There is no question that America is living a nightmare with no end in sight," General Sanchez said.

He criticised the State Department, the National Security Council, Congress and the senior military leadership in what the US media characterised as a broad indictment of White House policies and lack of leadership to oppose them.

The Bush administration did not directly address General Sanchez's critical views.

"We appreciate his service to the country," said a White House spokesman, adding that as the US commander in Iraq, David Petraeus, and US ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker have said: "There is more work to be done, but progress is being made in Iraq and that's what we're focused on now."

But General Sanchez said the US was in an "intractable position", criticising the war policies that he said stripped senior military officers of responsibility.

"The best we can do with this flawed approach is stave off defeat," he said.

General Sanchez retired from the army last year, two years after completing a tumultuous year as commander of US forces in Iraq. As he stepped down, he called his career a casualty of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. He was never charged, but he was not promoted in the aftermath of the prisoner abuse reports. He was criticised by some for not doing more to prevent mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners.

General Sanchez admitted he had made mistakes and said he did not always fully appreciate the secondary affects of actions the military took.

He said it became clear during his command in Iraq that the US mission was severely handicapped because the State Department and other agencies were not contributing adequately to a mission that could not be won by military force alone.

And in a bleak assessment, he said there was "nothing going on today in Washington that would give us hope".

General Sanchez led the Combined Joint Task Force 7 in Iraq beginning on June 15, 2003.

Under his command, the insurgency erupted and he and other officers were slow to respond, which some analysts say was partly because he and others in Iraq were battling then US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who was unwilling to acknowledge the insurgency.

Fanta, Fanta, take comfort and relax. There is nothing you can do, but, pray for the Jews to get their land back as soon as possible. The prophesys will be fufilled and you should not get so upset over that which you cannot control. Calm yourself. The United States, Russia, China are all mere distractions while these fufillments are close at hand. Pay attention to The Holy Lands and what is going on there. Don't waste your energy on this senseless blaming. It is just a distraction. Focus on Jerusalem. By the way......I am a Roman Catholic if anyone is wondering. Peace of The Lord be with you all.

'donnar',

With all due respect to the otherwise charming person you seem to be, I am wrestling with a few apparent contradictions in your comment to 'fanta' below:

"... There is nothing you can do, but, pray for the Jews to get their land back as soon as possible. The prophesys will be fufilled and you should not get so upset over that which you cannot control..."

If "... there is nothing we can do..." as you say, are you suggesting we put pressure on US administration to stop meddling in the conflict?

That the US involvement might be Satanic, and 'stalling' the prophecy fulfilling itself sooner?

Are you suggesting the best thing we and our nation can do is nothing, since "... there is nothing we can do..." and that the prophecy WILL fulfill itself anyway?!?!

I would like to support that. Get the US out of the equation, would go a long way in resolving the Israelo-Palestinian situation.

Thanks 'Donnar'! That could be the wisest counsel I've heard on that matter in a long time.

http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/37/10098

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Editor's Note: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has written to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, asking him to open a perjury investigation of Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the former US Military commander in Iraq.
According to an official memo dated September 14, 2003, and signed by Gen. Sanchez, he personally authorized the use of coercive interrogation techniques outlawed by the Geneva Conventions. In sworn testimony before the Senate Armed Services committee, he denied ever approving such techniques in Iraq.

The ACLU obtained a physical copy of the memo by suing the Defense Department under the Freedom of Information Act. Below, you will find a copy from the ACLU along with a typed transcript prepared by t r u t h o u t. - sw
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The General retired, because his failures in Iraq discouraged his superiors from giving him another position. Read what the General had to say about it in an interview: " "that's the key reason, the sole reason, that I was forced to retire. I was essentially not offered another position in either a three-star or four-star command."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/02/iraq/main2143888.shtml

So lets see...He ordered for the prisoners at Abu Graib to be tortured, he lied about it under oath and he lost his job because of his mismanaging of Iraq...why do liberals like him? Oh yeah, because he doesn't like Bush. Thanks for the laughs guys.

Thats attitude Donnar sounds more Jehova than Catholic. The Jehova's I talk with every Sat are always carrying the end is here message and take a complacent attitude of resignation with it!

Also equally as crazy as Gloria Copeland telling people that they dont need immunuzations for them or their children if they would just give their lives to God!!

You would think listening to that kind of rhetoric that we still live in the dark ages when knights with red crosses went through the ME murdering Muslims in the name of God!!

General Sanchez retired from the army last year, two years after completing a tumultuous year as commander of US forces in Iraq. As he stepped down, he called his career a casualty of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. He was never charged, but he was not promoted in the aftermath of the prisoner abuse reports. He was criticised by some for not doing more to prevent mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners.

retired from the army last year, two years after completing a tumultuous year as commander of US forces in Iraq.

retired from the army last year, two years after completing a tumultuous year as commander of US forces in Iraq.

retired from the army last year, two years after completing a tumultuous year as commander of US forces in Iraq.



"We appreciate his service to the country," said a White House spokesman

"We appreciate his service to the country," said a White House spokesman


delivered a harsh critique of the Bush team's civilian leadership, joining a long list of retired military officials going public over what they see as failed policies in Iraq.

delivered a harsh critique of the Bush team's civilian leadership, joining a long list of retired military officials going public over what they see as failed policies in Iraq.

joining a long list of retired military officials

joining a long list of retired military officials

And you say, According to an official memo dated September 14, 2003, and signed by Gen. Sanchez, he personally authorized the use of coercive interrogation techniques outlawed by the Geneva Conventions.

Yet he was never relieved of duty. He finished a year of command in Iraq beginning in June 2003. That means he was there for Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, and finished his duties in June 2004.

Thats 8 months after you say he signed a confesion!!!!???

Wow, how did that happen????

that's crazy

Whats crazy 2much?

Fanta46,

You seem to hate George Bush, but now you call him up as a character witness for the general? My day started out pretty bad, thanks for the laughs but stop now, my belly is starting to hurt.

fanta, just a lot of about the article, don't make a lot of sense 2me, a lot of holes in that story.

That character witness for the general, was for your benefit spider.

All the Bushy's attack the character of anyone that disagrees with their idol!!

You have to take it one of two ways;
1) agree with them that he was a good General,,or
2) admit their incompetence by leaving a confessed criminal in charge of such an important position for 8 months after confessing!


Did you quit laughing yet!!!

I thought you might

'spider',

For your own good, drop this one! You tolerance for persecution will be of no help here. I would hate to see you get hurt.

'Current News' is not like the 'religion chat' forum where everything unfounded and logic-less is 'fair game'.

One actually has to deal with facts, not faith, and make every attempt to present argumets to make sense on this forum!

Fanta46,

You need to sit down, because what I'm going to say is going to shock you.

I think Bush has made a lot of mistakes. Catch your breath...I'll wait for you.

What is shocking to me is the sheer number of times that I have posted that I think Bush has made a lot of mistakes and you still believe that I think he's perfect. Maybe it's because you automatically assume that anyone who supports the war on terror MUST support Bush 100%. That's simply not true and I've tried several times to get that point through to you.

And dude, I'm still laughing! Harder than ever!

voileazur,

Thank you for wanting to protect me, but I have supplied links to support what I have said. It's public knowledge. Maybe instead of threatening to hurt my feelings you should actually read about the subject and see that what I posted is correct?

Just some general pointers:

Democrats, Republicans , Independents?!?!?
NOT RELIGIONS!!!

And,

Bush, Clinton, Reagan, Carter, etc.
NOT GODS!!!

Also, RIGHT AND WRONG have a very different meaning here.
It has nothing to do with God and everything to with 'RULE OF LAW'!!!

RIGHT : You have respected the rule of law.
WRONG : You have violated the rule of law.

Partisan dogma and 'BS, which end up confusing the religious with the political, will ironically bring otherwise 'honest law abiding individuals' to violate the rule of law,

... in the name of god!!!

voileazur,

Some pointers...

Lying under oath is illegal and wrong, even if you are a general.

Ordering prisoners to be tortured is wrong, even if you hate George Bush.

Taking the word of a man who is in the cross-hairs, when his word effectively exonerates himself in spite of the evidence of his guilt...that's just stupid.

I reckon spider, I fail to grasp that, like you fail to notice I dont object to the war on Terrorism! "AFGHANISTAN"

Iraq is the illegal Bush war, remember? nothing to do with 9-11!!

'spider',

Read your own words:

'... Thank you for wanting to protect me,...'
(That's the truth: '...I would hate to see you get hurt.' )

'... Maybe instead of threatening to hurt my feelings...'
(You made that up 'buddy': an fabrication and a lie!!!)


Oh!!! Another little pointer for the 'Current News' and regarding your posts:

'... facts, laws, shared agreements and laws between nations, are a nuisance in matters of faith and belief..'

Within the rule of law, one instructs himself with the letter and spirit of he law, and determines whether the law was respected or whether it was violated.

Within the rule of faith, one intructs himself from the letter and rarely from the spirit of the bible, and personnally 're-writes' for himself the rule of law as he sees fit, again, in the name of his god!

That is the only category from which most every post you write are founded on 'spider'. It is a redundant and impertinnent message.

The color 'blue' is great, and the color 'red' is just as great. But as long as you'll use 'red', trying to convince everyone it is 'blue', you'll always be impertinent in your discourse. I don't argue, or pick impertinent arguements apart, I just point out the impertinence.

"(You made that up 'buddy': an fabrication and a lie!!!) "

"For your own good, drop this one! " = veiled threat.

Thanks anyways. I have noticed that you haven't addressed a single statement of fact that I made.