Posted on 11/27/2007 11:24:05 AM PST by rellimpank
In his weekly radio address, President Bush gave thanks for American servicemen "who risk their own lives to keep us safe."
Democrats chose retired Army Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez to deliver a rebuttal. "I saw firsthand the consequences of the administration's failure to devise a strategy for victory in Iraq that employed, in a coordinated manner, the political, economic, diplomatic and military power of the United States. That failure continues today," he said.
LtGen. Sanchez endorsed the Democratic measure pending in Congress to condition continued funding for the war on a timetable for troop withdrawal. "Although we cannot withdraw precipitously from Iraq, we must move rapidly to minimize our force presence," he said.
Martin Peretz of the New Republic suspects Democrats want to withdraw troops from Iraq quickly because they don't want to win there.
(Excerpt) Read more at jewishworldreview.com ...
Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez failed so he wants to bring everyone down with him? Amazing to see rats float once they jump ship.
Interesting. I hadn’t made these connections, which needless to say the media didn’t mention when they used him for their agenda.
That being the case, how do we know he really put in the strategic effort to win this war when it was on his watch?? br /> Not only was he a failure, we will leave lingering doubt all the way up to and including treachery. Not many of you will agree, but sorry that is the way I see the issue.
L. Paul Bremer was the leader of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. There was almost a complete failure to communicate between Bremer, the top civilian, and Sanchez, the military leader. "It was very clear they hated each other. They lived in the same palace and didn't talk to each other." This disunity in leadership has been cited as one of the major failures of the first year of the Iraq War.
Sanchez and Abizaid were in charge for nearly two years. Those just happened to be the two years when we didn’t seem to make any ground and we managed to create an insurgency by failing to get rid of the bad guys.
Sanchez is claiming that Bush wouldn’t come up with a strategy????? Excuse me for my naivete, but isn’t the commander on the ground supposed to be coming up with the strategy to provide to the Joint Chiefs? Sanchez sounds like he was just sitting around waiting for direction from Washington. If he was, he was a bureaucrat instead of a warrior and that would explain a lot.
And for Sanchez to be complaining now is just insane. Petraeus is kicking butt and things have happened faster than even the hawks had hoped for and yet he is still trying to somehow pull defeat out of the jaws of victory?
Man, some people just refuse to win. Good thing we got him out of the system before he broke things irrevocably.
the quote from Victor David Hansen at the end of the article perfectly sums up the situation with these failures/losers who gain notoriety when they turn on their former masters and help the enemy.
Sanchez pulls a McClellan... I’m extremely sad to see this from a former three-star who was on the ground in Iraq for over a year. What the heck was he doing there in that time?Wonder what the Dems have promised him? Secretary of Defense? Nah, more likely Secretary of the Army....
Yeah he has the right to talk, about his own failings. Like Abu Graib hapening on his watch.
Historian Victor Davis Hanson likens Gen. Sanchez to other "whistleblowers" such as former CIA officer Michael Scheuer and former National Security Council staffer Richard Clarke who were failures at their jobs.
"In all these cases there is a dismal pattern: a mediocre functionary keeps quiet about the mess around him, muddles through, senses that things aren't going right, finds himself on the losing end of political infighting, is forced out or quits, seethes that his genius wasn't recognized, takes no responsibility for his own failures, worries that he might be scape-goated, and at last senses that either a New York publisher or the anti-war Left, or both, will be willing to offer him cash or notoriety — but only if he serves their needs by trashing his former colleagues in a manner he never would while on the job," Mr. Hanson said.
I hope LtGen Sanchez is happy in the company of that weasel Clarke.....
In war, you need fighting Generals/Admirals... tolerating less only prolongs the conflict.
The fact that Sanchez took the gig says all you need to know about him.
Will Sanchez be offering his memoranda and emails with his proposed strategies for victory? I’m sure he must have written dozens.
(Sorry, General, but to make statements like this while our best is still at risk, is self-serving and tarnishes your stars. You are, of course, to be commended and thanked for your service, but you should, at this time be likewise upbraided for your lack of discretion as to your current comments.)
Meanwhile with American Forces trapped at Bastogne, Gen. Patton waited patiently for FDR to advise of his plans for their relief. The Gen. was heard to say, "Golly gee, I hope those fellows come out OK."
< /sarcasm >
Apparently, they are only allowed to provide leadership or actual strategy when they get the Fourth Star. At Three Stars, a general is only capable of humiliating lower commissioned officers and harassing secretaries.
Kind of interesting that Levin mistakenly referred to Sanchez as governor. I wonder what he’s been promised.
Did you mean Scott McClellan or George McClellan?
I was referring to George.... Scott didn’t even enter my mind.
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