Top General Blames Bush for Iraq

Bunz

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http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/12/washington/12cnd-general.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12— 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.

General Sanchez is the most senior in a string of retired generals to harshly criticize the administration’s conduct of the war. Asked following his remarks why he waited nearly a year after his retirement to outline his views, he responded that that it was not the place of active duty officers to challenge lawful orders from civilian authorities. General Sanchez, who is said to be considering a book, promised further public statements criticizing officials by name.


This comes as little surprise to me. I certainly understand him keeping this out of the public until now. But I think it is certainly a more valid opinion than anyone in the Bush administration. Which clearly handcuffed military leadership and more importantly made this an entirely military operation and failed to bring in the other critical parts of the US government. State Department, Health and Human Services namely. The bottom line in re-construction is that the military is only good at military operations. To expect them to do the other necessary functions of a government is why we find ourselves in this situation.
 
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First ...expect the right wing to come out and try to attack this guy character..it will be the same old story.

It will be he did this when he was 15 ...or he's disgruntled and incompetent...and so he's lieing....just like everyone else who talks negatively about the war.

But this brings out a fundamental truth about the military and how its conducted.
That is, the fact that no matter what the truth is the leaders are trained to lie and spin to provide a false impression. About the only thing that can cut through the lies ..is body-bags!

We have the bodies ...but mostly they are Iraqi bodies! And as far as bush is concerned Iraqi lives is cheap and very very expendable .... and thats why this war continues. Heck bush does'nt even care about American lives, except how it might affect his political agenda.

This is why the surge was such a farce ...because the diagnosis depended on yet ..another lieing general!

Personally I say ....F%#CK all of them!! When in a position to actually do something they go along with the program ....and when they are in a position to do nothing ...thats when they start to speak out ..write books etc??

F#$CK all of them I really don't want to hear it!

They sound just like the whiney pathetic do nothing democrats!!:mad:

In the end this will mean nothing. I said before the democrats and republican's are just different wings of the same bird ..controlled by AIPAC!!
 
"I feel that retired generals should never miss an opportunity to remain silent concerning matters for which they are no longer responsible." - General H. Norman Schwarzkopf
 
That the retired LTGEN should be not miss an opportunity to remain silent concerning matters for which he is no longer responsible.

Let me ask you this question ...seriously. If the retired generalS speak out and are in fact speaking the truth.

I'm asking you personally ...do you prefer to hear the lies from the active general?
 
Let me ask you this question ...seriously. If the retired generalS speak out and are in fact speaking the truth.

I'm asking you personally ...do you prefer to hear the lies from the active general?

I prefer to hear from the active generals, yes.
 
"I feel that retired generals should never miss an opportunity to remain silent concerning matters for which they are no longer responsible." - General H. Norman Schwarzkopf

While a noble thought and even better sound byte. The General hasnt necessarily practiced that. The only difference is that he maybe didnt air his dirty laundry, but more importantly he didnt find himself in a situation even close to what Sanchez has.
 
I prefer to hear from the active generals, yes.
From which would you expect to hear the truth? An active general who's career would be negatively affected for voicing a political opinion or one who has retired and no longer has to depend on the system for his employment.

Furthermore, no general has the right to voice his political opinion while he is under the control of his commander in chief. Are you too young to remember that Truman fired MacArthur for doing just that?
 
"I feel that retired generals should never miss an opportunity to remain silent concerning matters for which they are no longer responsible." - General H. Norman Schwarzkopf

That's kinda funny because I remember old Stormin' Norman being on TV in a nice suit giving his opinion on a lot of military topics after he retired. Quote intended for others I would guess... ;)

Two things...

First... The fact is anyone that has real insight & knowledge on a topic is a credible source that might have something to say we ought to know.

Secondly... Hello America... Free Speech! :)
 
That's kinda funny because I remember old Stormin' Norman being on TV in a nice suit giving his opinion on a lot of military topics after he retired. Quote intended for others I would guess... ;)

Two things...

First... The fact is anyone that has real insight & knowledge on a topic is a credible source that might have something to say we ought to know.

Secondly... Hello America... Free Speech! :)

(reminds me of some Musical Mind Rapist)

Your "Freedumb of Speech" is allowed!*
*IF what you say doesn't matter

Your "Freedumb of Speech" is allowed!*
*IF No one is listening

Your "Freedumb of Speech" is allowed!*
*IF it helps create/maintain one of many social circle-jerks pick-pocketings.

Your "Freedumb of Speech" is allowed!*
*IF it creates/maintains any of many impotent political discussions which end in no resolution except the mutual agreement that "Our fruitless, pointless facade-of-an-argument PROVES We're the Freest Nation on Earth: Certainly, in no other country on earth are people allowed to say so much...while effecting so little."

So keep enjoying your "Freedumb to Criticize the Government". And the government will keep doing whatever it chooses, regardless of your criticism.

And keep enjoying your Freedumb to Criticize Bush as a person:
* "He's such a Redneck!"
* "He speaks so Poorly!"
* "He's so stupid!"

Now realize how a billionaire elite, like Bush for example, could easily kill you without a trace.

...don't worry though: THAT won't happen!

*Because nothing that YOU say matters...which is why you're free to say it ;)
 

Secondly... Hello America... Free Speech! :)

This is the oldest liberal argument in the book.

The quote doesn't say retired general can't speak out, just that he doesn't believe they should. It reminds me of something one of my friends once told a protestor: "just because it's your constitutional right doesn't mean it's a good idea".
 
I prefer to hear from the active generals, yes.

I asked you if you would prefer to hear the truth from retired Generals or the lies from the active general. And your response says it all. This is what I've been talking about all along. This is why the term ..."lap-dog" ...is so fitting!

Bush is my guy ...to hell with who's being killed as result of his misguided policies. This folks ...this is why I am a proponent of a war time draft.

Because as long as we don't have a draft ...as long as we have only people with absolutely nothing at stake helping to shape policies...there will always be this mis-guided mindset.

Again the war is initiated and is being run by chicken-hawks.
 
I asked you if you would prefer to hear the truth from retired Generals or the lies from the active general. And your response says it all. This is what I've been talking about all along. This is why the term ..."lap-dog" ...is so fitting!

Talk about a loaded question. You might as well have just asked me if I have "stopped beating my girlfriend lately".
 
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Talk about a loaded question. You might as well have just asked me if I have "stopped beating my girlfriend lately".

Your response was expected ...this is a new reality I've come to know for some time now. How can anybody support bush today unless they are a hypocrite?
And as such ...like you said ...you would rather listen to lies advocating your guy ...than hear the truth!
Thats why I quickly use the words ...'sheep" and .."lap-dog" ...since to me ..you people are very easily identified. You listen to and make a deliberate effort to be a clone of Shawn Hannity ...rush limbaugh ...or any of the number of right wing pundits hatching all over the country.

And as far as the war is concerned what do they all have in common? Yep ..thats right ...all chicken hawks who skirted ever serving during their youth ..and now live their lives to seek out enemies for the US to fight with!
 
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