DEFEATIST: Ex-general: Iraq a 'nightmare' for US,

Ex-general: Iraq a 'nightmare' for US
Retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, who commanded coalition troops for a year beginning June 2003, cast a wide net of blame for both political and military shortcomings in Iraq that helped open the way for the insurgency — such as disbanding the Saddam-era military and failing to cement ties with tribal leaders and quickly establish civilian government after Saddam was toppled.

"Was" maybe better, he never had control, his job was to command.

"When asked when he saw that the mission was going awry, he responded: "About the 15th of June 2003" — the day he took command." Said Sanchez.

And he took the command anyway, why?

Sanchez avoided singling out at any specific official. But he did criticize the State Department, the National Security Council, Congress and the senior military leadership during what appeared to be a broad indictment of White House policies and a lack of leadership to oppose them.

Sanchez told the gathering that he thought he had made mistakes and said he didn't always fully appreciate the secondary affects of actions the military took, so he includes his own name in the
'broad indictment'?

He did deny reports that he and then-Iraqi administrator L. Paul Bremer were not on speaking terms.

Sanchez retired from the Army last year, two years after he completing a tumultuous year as commander of all U.S. forces in Iraq. As he stepped down, he called his career a casualty of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal.

He was never charged with anything but he was not promoted in the aftermath of the prisoner abuse reports. He was criticized by some for not doing more to avoid mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners.

"The American military finds itself in an intractable situation ... America has no choice but to continue our efforts in Iraq," said Sanchez, who works as a consultant training U.S. generals. HOW IRONIC, DEFEATIST training USA generals???.

Sanchez offered few solutions.

The Bush administration didn't directly address Sanchez's critical views.

"We appreciate his service to the country," said White House spokesman Trey Bohn. He added that as U.S. commander in Iraq Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. 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."

Gerald