Posted on 05/22/2004 5:41:40 PM PDT by b4its2late
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Gen. Zinni: 'They've Screwed Up' May 21, 2004
Accusing top Pentagon officials of "dereliction of duty," retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni says staying the course in Iraq isn't a reasonable option.
"The course is headed over Niagara Falls. I think it's time to change course a little bit or at least hold somebody responsible for putting you on this course," he tells CBS News Correspondent Steve Kroft in an interview to be broadcast on 60 Minutes, Sunday, May 23, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
The current situation in Iraq was destined to happen, says Zinni, because planning for the war and its aftermath has been flawed all along.
"There has been poor strategic thinking in this...poor operational planning and execution on the ground," says Zinni, who served as commander-in-chief of the U.S. Central Command from 1997 to 2000.
Zinni blames the poor planning on the civilian policymakers in the administration, known as neo-conservatives, who saw the invasion as a way to stabilize the region and support Israel. He believes these people, who include Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and Douglas Feith, the undersecretary of defense, have hijacked U.S. foreign policy.
"They promoted it and pushed [the war]... even to the point of creating their own intelligence to match their needs. Then they should bear the responsibility," Zinni tells Kroft.
In his upcoming book, "Battle Ready," written with Tom Clancy, Zinni writes of the poor planning in harsh terms. "In the lead-up to the Iraq war and its later conduct, I saw, at minimum, true dereliction, negligence and irresponsibility; at worst, lying, incompetence and corruption," he writes.
Zinni explains to Kroft, "I think there was dereliction in insufficient forces being put on the ground and [in not] fully understanding the military dimensions of the plan."
He still believes the situation is salvageable if the United States can communicate more effectively with the Iraqi people and demonstrate a better image to them.
The enlistment of the U.N. and other countries to participate in the mission is also crucial, he says. Without these things, says Zinni, "We are going to be looking for quick exits. I don't believe we're there now, and I wouldn't want to see us fail here."
Also central to success in Iraq is more troops, from the United States and especially other countries, to control violence and patrol borders, he says.
Zinni feels that undertaking the war with the minimum of troops paved the way for the security problems the U.S. faces there now, the violence Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld recently admitted he hadn't anticipated.
"He should not have been surprised," says Zinni. "There were a number of people who before we even engaged in this conflict felt strongly that we underestimated...the scope of the problems we would have in [Iraq]."
The fact that no one in the administration has paid for the blunder irks Zinni. "But regardless of whose responsibility [it is]...it should be evident to everybody that they've screwed up, and whose heads are rolling on this?"
This is just the way it is. We will have to win swimming upstream and we will.
You're correct.... and right, I might add.
2. Will that recognition result in rejection of their reporting and their agenda?
You don't have to read past this line.
Well I am sure they will run a segment with Tommy Franks side of the story /Sarcasm
I wonder how close a relationship Clancy had with Richard Clark. Clark was always quite a self-promoter.
Let's put it this way. The General who said more troops would be required was canned. The budget man who said it would cost 200 billion was canned. Those who told the President we would be greeted with flowers and the oil wells would gush cash to pay for the war are still around. Why?
This kind of crap from the general that used to be commander of Central Command....wonder what the troops at CENTCOM, rear, are thinking of this. Zinni is a Clinton general....we need say no more.
And if this was 1943, you snook would be saying, "Why" hasn't hilter been defeated yet. "Why" are the japanese still fighting.
Tonight on 60 minutes. He is a former central command general who thinks bush's war in Iraq is a disaster. He will tell you how much he thinks bush, cheney, rumsfeld,and wolfowitz are bumbling fools and why this war really is just about oil and the carlyle group. also why he is voting for john kerry. All that and Andy rooney who will also be voting for Kerry tonight on 60 minutes
retired generals need to stay silent, cause they are not in the loop
Zinni is one of the most respected flag ranks in regards to actual operational warfighting. He isn't prone to rash statements without justification, although perhaps known for taking a dogmatic stance from the information he has been provided. Sort of a Marine version of Patton, if I may be so gratuitous (or skeptical depending on one's view of Patton).
The President told the country the war on terror was not going to be easy and would take many years. It is true that many nattering naybobs of negativism underestimated the challenge. The war is just starting and is not over with Iraq.
Grow up. Your comments are sophomoric. This is the problem.
Let's put it this way. The General who said more troops would be required was canned. The budget man who said it would cost 200 billion was canned. Those who told the President we would be greeted with flowers and the oil wells would gush cash to pay for the war are still around. Why?
No the problem, IMO, is ankle biters like you, who try to micromanage the war on terror from your armchair.
Where does anybody imply Zinni would condone Kerry? I'd be rather surprised if that evolved. Zinni, IMHO is the type of guy who would simply turn around and ignore that sort of comment by anybody suggesting he supports democratic socialism. (If he had the discipline, and he does, to simply categorize the comment maker as not having significant worth to even acknowledge his existence.)
Wonder if Kroft broaches the subject of Zinni's dereliction in having the Cole refuel in Yemen or dismissing the plan of strategic bombing Al Qaeda hideouts in Tora Bora while he was CENTCOM. Probably not.
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