Posted on 10/24/2007 8:19:32 PM PDT by brityank
Retired Lt. Gen. Sanchez blasts failure of U.S. to commit to victory in Iraq
By: RET. LT. GEN. RICARDO S. SANCHEZ - Commentary
<Editor's note: The following is a transcript of the second half of an Oct. 12 speech give by U.S. Army Ret. Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, who commanded U.S. forces in Iraq from June 2003 to July 2004. It was the keynote speech of the fifth annual conference of the Military Reporters and Editors, titled "Long Exposure ---- Covering the War and Home Front," at the Doubletree Hotel Crystal City in Arlington, Va., near the Pentagon. In the first half of the speech, Sanchez blasted journalists he said had undermined democracy in the U.S. and the war in Iraq. A full transcript is available at www.militaryreporters.org/sanchez_101207.html.
As we all know, war is an extension of politics, and when a nation goes to war it must bring to bear all elements of power in order to win. War fighting is not solely the responsibility of the military commander unless he has been given the responsibility and resources to synchronize the political, economic and informational power of the nation. So who is responsible for developing the grand strategy that will allow America to emerge victorious from this generational struggle against extremism?
After more than four 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. From a catastrophically flawed, unrealistically optimistic war plan to the administration's latest "surge" strategy, this administration has failed to employ and synchronize its political, economic and military power. The latest "revised strategy" is a desperate attempt by an administration that has not accepted the political and economic realities of this war, and they have definitely not communicated that reality to the American people. An even worse and more disturbing assessment is that America can not achieve the political consensus necessary to devise a grand strategy that will synchronize and commit our national power to achieve victory in Iraq. Some of you have heard me talk about our nation's crisis in leadership. Let me elaborate.
~ ~ ~
Where is the will to win?
Partisan politics have hindered this war effort, and America should not accept this. America must demand a unified national strategy that goes well beyond partisan politics and places the common good above all else. Too often our politicians have chosen loyalty to their political party above loyalty to the Constitution because of their lust for power.
Our politicians must remember their oath of office and recommit themselves to serving our nation and not their own self-interests or political party. The security of America is at stake and we can accept nothing less. Anything short of this is unquestionably dereliction of duty.
These are fairly harsh assessments of the military and press relationship and the status of our war effort. I remain optimistic and committed to the enabling of media operations under the toughest of conditions in order to keep the world and the American people informed. Our military must embrace you for the sake our democracy, but you owe them ethical journalism.
I added the link above to Gen. Sanches' remarks; he provides a valid overview of the lack of support given the troops by Congress and various entities within the Administration, from the State Department to the EoP; but his biggest condemnation is the Press in all its venues.
The NCTimes has several columns listed today in their 'Military' Section that are germane. Seeing that Camp Pendleton is basically shut down due to the fires, guess we won't have much on Haditha or Hamdania until next week.
Hope all there are safe, and that the Marines come through in good shape. Prayers to those caught in the conflagrations.
Principally, in a defeated Iran.
The will to win will return if hillary becomes president.
...Not that it will do the country any good.
It’s worse than Sanchez says.
The US government has squandered a unique opportunity to bring peace to the Middle East.
Had US forces partitioned Syria several years ago, imposing a no-fly zone over the Northern half of the country, we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in.
With leverage on Syria, there would be less trouble in Iraq and Lebanon. Iran would know the US means business when it comes to meddling in Iraq’s affairs. The Russians would not be looking for a port in the Mediterranean.
This is a giant blunder. This war should’ve been expanded years ago. Now, it is too late.
We’ll just have to go back again in a few years and do all this again.
The parallels to Viet Nam are frightening. If you allow the ememy a sanctuary, you will lose. That’s the lesson still unlearned.
...”We’ll just have to go back again in a few years and do all this again.”...
That was the lament among personnel and certain political individuals in winter 1991 when the US did not drive on the Baghdad to crush Saddam and send an unmistakable message to the rest of the ME and the Persians about American resolve and capability. At that time we had some 500,000 US personnel in theater, nearly as many as in RVN and SEA in 1968. If we have to go back 10 years frmo now, it will be much worse militarily and politically. Hindsight is 20:20, though.
the link to the full text at miltaryreporters.org isn’t working.
Thanks; FR's system strikes again. :^)
http://www.militaryreporters.org/sanchez_101207.html ^ will get you there.
When will some of these fine men, like Sanchez and Pace, run for office? I am so sick of the C-students, like Bush, Gore and Kerry, none of whom served in a combat capacity, leading this nation. How about we have the true “best and brightest” lead us for a change? It makes me sick how Bush and Gates got rid of Gen. Pace because he refused to accept homosexual behavior. I hope he runs for something.
I could support either one, or both. Somehow, though, I suspect they'd rather take a rectal exam before subjecting themselves to the jackals in the Media and the D/R-NC's.
We didn't lose in Viet Nam; Kerry and his ilk, along with the Media, destroyed the will to proceed with lies and blatant propaganda -- much as we're seeing today from the same players. The real problems are the abject lack of support from the EoP and his Cabinet Heads, primarily State. Too many hold-over socialist bureaucrats from the prior administration in the name of compassionate conservatism. The fact that we failed to contain or eliminate Saddam in the first go-'round was the biggest failure -- that would have put the brakes on Syria, Iran, the PLO, and the Taliban, and likely cut back severely on Al Qaida.
Hindsight is wonderful; it allows you to recognise a mistake when you make it again.
The difference that we have today from the Vietnam era perhaps explains the reluctance to serve outside the military by those top achievers in the military.
In the Vietnam era, in addition to the subversion you cite, the prior decades leftovers from WWII and Korea were the upper officer cadre and they had become seperated (to a large, but not total extent) from the lower ranks they commanded. This came about due to the amount of time they were fulfulling cold war political positions in the Pentagon and elsewhere.
To them, their team was the political team and not the war making team.
Middle officers and junior officers that lived through that era, learned from the problems and in the retrenchment years of 74 to 84 retooled the officer corps thinking and organization such that from Grenada, through Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraqi Freedom they kept themselves from being subverted by the political commmand in their thinking of how to use the war-fighting machine they commanded.
Biographies abound as to how this happened and even the more political such as Powell recount how they and those they led profited by this improvement.
There are those that naturally adhere to the political, such as our former NATO commander, Wesley Clark and others that show what happens when you have a good officer, well educated and smart, that is more suited to the political role. Shudder.
Hey, Brit , how ya doin?
My perception is that the main objective was to get Saddam.
From that the Iraqi’s were supposed to be so falling over themselves grateful, that the whole she-bang was going to be a cakewalk.
People who have never experienced freedom don’t seem to be able to handle it.
Without a definite plan of action, the Iraqi’s merely reverted to their divisive ways.
We should have left then.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, except for people who can’t seem to be able to find their A$$ with either hand.
Hey -- I resemble that remark!
Back fighting the dragon again today, pulling paperwork together for my insurance claims. Hope Evan is well, and his family is holding tough.
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