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It is a mistake to try and marginalize everyone who disagrees with your point of view. My take:

1) The war was preemptive. There was legitimate concern about Iraq having WMD's and Iraq was trying to appear to have WMD's. Also, Iraq was not in compliance with it's prior ceasefire commitments. This being the case, I can see reasonable people disagreeing on whether it was appropriate to go to war or not.

In a post 9/11 world, I think the President had a legitimate reason for going to war.

2) The execution of the war has not gone well. Rumsfeld and Cheney made several predictions and statements about the results of their actions/policies. These have turned out to be dead wrong. The author made some very good points about post-invasion handling of Iraq. Disbanding the Iraqi army, going out of our way to alienate European countries who could have helped with the rebuilding, etc...

While you may say these people are unintelligent and political, you would be wrong! Anthony Zinni is certainly not a Democrat and is one of the most knowledgeable men alive in regards to military actions. Maybe people like him need to be listened to much more closely rather than the people who have given us the current results.

"...going out of our way to alienate European countries who could have helped with the rebuilding..."

Since Newbold isn't here to flesh this out for me and you specifically noted this part of his assertions, maybe you can answer.
Since what really alienated Europe was our going into Iraq at all, how could we have not alienated them so they would be helping more now?

"Anthony Zinni is certainly not a Democrat and is one of the most knowledgeable men alive in regards to military actions. Maybe people like him need to be listened to much more closely rather than the people who have given us the current results."

He should be knowledgable about Iraq since he commanded the air strikes of Iraqi WMD sites in December 1998. He also enforced the mandatory Anthrax vaccination program of all personnel under his charge in the Persian Gulf. Many personnel recieved contaminated vaccine during the rush to protect them against the Iraqi Anthrax threat.

Seems to me his criticisms are political and revisionist...same with Richard Clarke and the rest of the Clinton gang.

You have made a classic mistake here, assuming that I too, am a Rumsfeld booster. Wrongo, bubba, but I think you make your case when it is your responsiblity to do so. Not happy with the results? Go pout like this so-called General did and write the crap he wrote. Rumsfeld et. al., have made numerous mistakes, but unlike you, I don't expect 100% mistake free results from the military in times of war. Has it been executed as well as I would have liked? No way Jose, and that's the rub. I want to learn from mistakes, and this idiot General thinks it is all a mistake. Hogwash!
Whatever this guy earned from the military was a waste as far as I'm concerned, and his logic is suspect as well.