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Lt. Gen Sanchez: Bush Administration Guilty of "Gross Incompetence and Dereliction of Duty"
June 02, 2008 12:04 PM
Lost in the coverage of the Democratic presidential race and the scathing memoir by Scotty McClellen is the autobiography just published by a former commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez (Ret.)
In "Wiser in Battle: A Soldier's Story," Gen. Sanchez goes into detail about various military blunders that led to where we are today.
In one excerpt, published by TIME, Sanchez explains why there were inadequate troop levels in Iraq for a time:
"CENTCOM had originally called for twelve to eighteen months of Phase IV activity with active troop deployments. But then CENTCOM had completely walked away by simply stating that the war was over and Phase IV was not their job.
"That decision set up the United States for a failed first year in Iraq. There is no question about it. And I was supposed to believe that neither the Secretary of Defense nor anybody above him knew anything about it? Impossible! Rumsfeld knew about it. Everybody on the NSC knew about it, including Condoleezza Rice, George Tenet, and Colin Powell. Vice President Cheney knew about it. And President Bush knew about it.
"There's not a doubt in my mind that they all embraced this decision to some degree. And if it had not been for the moral courage of Gen. John Abizaid to stand up to them all and reverse Franks's troop drawdown order, there's no telling how much more damage would have been done.
"In the meantime, hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars were unnecessarily spent, and worse yet, too many of our most precious military resource, our American soldiers, were unnecessarily wounded, maimed, and killed as a result. In my mind, this action by the Bush administration amounts to gross incompetence and dereliction of duty."
In an excerpt published on NPR's website, Sanchez writes
"In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, I watched helplessly as the Bush administration led America into a strategic blunder of historic proportions. It became painfully obvious that the executive branch of our government did not trust its military. It relied instead on a neoconservative ideology developed by men and women with little, if any, military experience. Some senior military leaders did not challenge civilian decision makers at the appropriate times, and the courageous few who did take a stand were subsequently forced out of the service...I saw the cynical use of war for political gains by elected officials and acquiescent military leaders. I learned how the pressure of a round-the-clock news cycle could drive crucial decisions. I witnessed those resulting political decisions override military requirements and judgments and, in turn, create conditions that caused unnecessary harm to our soldiers on the ground..."
"Over the fourteen months of my command in Iraq, I witnessed a blatant disregard for the lives of our young soldiers in uniform. It is an issue that constantly eats away at me.
There's an odd anecdote recounted in today's Washington Post of a videoconference with President Bush held after four contractors were killed in Fallujah in 2004. Bush, Sanchez writes, began a "confused" pep talk:
"Kick ass!" Bush said, according to Sanchez. "If somebody tries to stop the march to democracy, we will seek them out and kill them! We must be tougher than hell! This Vietnam stuff, this is not even close. It is a mind-set. We can't send that message. It's an excuse to prepare us for withdrawal. There is a series of moments and this is one of them. Our will is being tested, but we are resolute. We have a better way. Stay strong! Stay the course! Kill them! Be confident! Prevail! We are going to wipe them out! We are not blinking!"
And regarding Abu Ghraib, Sanchez writes -- according to Eli Lake of the New York Sun -- that the U.S. was torturing prisoners.
A remarkable admission.
"During the last few months of 2002, while the highest levels of the U.S. government were sparring with Saddam Hussein and setting up the case for an invasion of Iraq, there is irrefutable evidence that America was torturing and killing prisoners in Afghanistan...In retrospect, the Bush administration's new policy triggered a sequence of events that led to the use of harsh interrogation tactics against not only al Qaeda prisoners, but also eventually prisoners in Iraq—in spite of our best efforts to restrain such unlawful conduct."
Probably the book won't merit as much media attention as McClellen's book, but it sounds like it should.
- jpt
June 2, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (35)
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These I said, he said, she said, who said books.
If these people knew anything while they were serving thier country, They also knew it was their responsibility to report it THEN.
In failing to do so, They should be arrested for Neglect and dereliction of duty. For Failing their country, The people of their country, and not doing their duty to Country.
They should not be given deals or plea bargains. They should be convicted to the fullest extreme of the law.
Writing a book to make money or to gain 15 min of fame, or to cover their butt.
People need to start being held accountable for their actions in government, or their major lack of action.
I think they should be prosecuted and That them and nothing in their books should be allowed as evidence against anyone.
Then maybe people in this government would take their jobs serious, have honor, duty and responsibility toward their government and the people.
Posted by: seah | Jun 2, 2008 1:25:37 PM
Excellent article. I praise ABC news for being the leader in morally correct news media. "Moral" and "Liberal" are two separate items. It takes more courage to stand up to stupidity than to lay down and accept all our leaders tell us is right. Politically correct and moraly correct do not go together. Bush's murderous regime as a governor (questionable executions) went unnoticed in the light of the petty immorality of Bill Clinton. I also had misgivings about George Senior's decision not to liberate Baghdad, as he himself did. I figured I would give George Dubya his first term to make a case for going back there. As a result of the disasterous vietnam-like situation we now have, Voted for Kerry second time, and may never regain confidence in Republicans. I pray that more couragious men come forth an tell their stories. Its the least they can do to try and assure our Great country regains its diginity and leadership in world affairs. I think MSNBC is the real voice of liberalism that I judge as immoral, and they have done an injustice to human intelligence by exploiting the weaknesses of the uninformed, uneducated, and morally bankrupt mind (example; to catch a predator...lowlife garbage!!!!)
Posted by: Gary Mahoney | Jun 2, 2008 1:23:26 PM
How could you go on living with yourself knowing that these military people had put their lives in your hands, and knowing you had abused that trust?
All of us are shamed by this dishonor because we allowed it.
Posted by: Curious | Jun 2, 2008 1:05:40 PM
jptrenn, no back-door endorsement of McCain. I was simply being proactive in the response that I knew would come from Obamadroids - and Nat delivered with the first post, right on cue!
One man's public service is another man's cash cow. Of course, the two aren't automatically exclusive of each other. But the money sure helps, doesn't it?
Posted by: HoosierSue | Jun 2, 2008 12:59:44 PM
Anybody feel like voting OUT the incumbents yet??? Nah, I didn't think so. But feel free to whine amongst yourselves and have a false sense of pride for your worthless opinion. Words without actions are WORTHLESS...
Posted by: pity | Jun 2, 2008 12:59:11 PM
Interesting of Liberals- they call a General who seems to have an axe to grind and says all this while soldiers are in harms way knowing it will be used as propaganda for the enemy a hero!!
What a joke, they say this without knowing the guys history -
At the time of his retirement, Lieutenant General Sanchez called his career a casualty of the Abu Ghraib scandal
Sanchez held the top military position in Iraq during what was arguably one of the most critical periods of the war—the year after the fall of the Hussein regime, and the time the insurgency took root and began its counterattack
If he was commander of the forces at the time he was complaining he could of said something then and there!!
He retired over two years ago, why the book Now? could it be he is an Obama supporter and getting millions for this book from the same liberel George Soros and Scott is??
Posted by: spock | Jun 2, 2008 12:57:36 PM
The basic conservative philosophy is "don't trust the government!" However, when the government is a bunch of neo-con war-lovers who want to stick their noses into every corner of the world, conservatives brains somehow switch gears to, "How DARE you claim our government LIED to us!" This brain confusion would be quite funny, if it weren't for tens of thousands of brave Americans who have been killed or maimed for life by these lies.
Posted by: AlChemist | Jun 2, 2008 12:57:33 PM
George Bush's legacy is BIG War, BIG banks, BIG Internationals, and BIG China. Want more of the same? then vote for McCain.
Posted by: christimarie | Jun 2, 2008 12:56:50 PM
All hail the democrat controlled congress for doing as they promised and had their mandate to prosecute this administration.
Oh you mean the didn't do anything? Nothing at all?
So vote in more pathetic INCOMPETENT democrats in.
ROTFLMAO!
Posted by: GTA | Jun 2, 2008 12:44:50 PM
Bush/McCain Republican Leadership = Incompetent Leadership. Period. Let's get rid of these unpatriotic, self-serving morons.
Posted by: Joe Reed | Jun 2, 2008 12:34:38 PM
HoosierSue
You're missing the point. People aren't cashing in. They can't write a book while they're part of the administration. They don't have time. And once out of office, it takes time to write a book.
It seems you're trying to make a back door endorsement of McCain by denouncing the motives of the books. McCain will have to stand or fall on his own regard.
To me, the books actually act as a public service after the lies we were feed over the past years.
Posted by: jptrenn | Jun 2, 2008 12:34:25 PM
And Congress is going to do what about this? This is no surprise to anyone who's been paying any attention at all, but we citizens appear to be powerless to do anything about our rogue administration. It's depressing.
Posted by: Marilyn | Jun 2, 2008 12:33:27 PM
Why isn't this testamonial not being blared across the headlines of America's News publishers?
Thank God for heroes like General Sanchez. This is the story with the real meat. Scott McClellan's book is simply the garnish.
Posted by: BooMan | Jun 2, 2008 12:29:55 PM
"Probably the book won't merit as much media
attention as McClellen's book, but it sounds
like it should."
jpt
Ya'd think so, wouldn't ya? There is the argument available that Sanchez is retaliating for being forced out over Abu Ghraib.
Posted by: Lee C. ― U.S.A. | Jun 2, 2008 12:29:44 PM
No doubt Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld bungled Iraq. But let's remember two truths. Frst, there's money to be made from Bush administration tell-all books right now so we need to keep that in mind as accusations are made. That doesn't mean their content is necessarily false, it simply means that the harsher and more tantalizing the criticism, the more potential for financial gain by the author. Secondly, since the connection is sure to be made by McCain's opponents, McCain isn't Bush. Where Bush was woefully ignorant and brash, McCain is knowledgeable and level-headed. I trust him to bring a safe and sane conclusion to the War in Iraq.
The Bush administration is the worst of my lifetime. No question about it. But aren't these tell-all books too little too late to really matter at this point since the damage is done? As with all things, follow the money. That's what's behind these books; it certainly supercedes any moral obligation to truth or the American people.
Posted by: HoosierSue | Jun 2, 2008 12:25:03 PM
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