Ex-Envoy Criticizes Bush's Postwar Policy (retired general alert)

Washington Post ^ | 09/05/03 | Thomas E. Ricks

[Pokey78]

A former U.S. commander for the Middle East who still consults for the State Department yesterday blasted the Bush administration's handling of postwar Iraq, saying it lacked a coherent strategy, a serious plan and sufficient resources.

"There is no strategy or mechanism for putting the pieces together," said retired Marine Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, and so, he said, "we're in danger of failing."

In an impassioned speech to several hundred Marine and Navy officers and others, Zinni invoked the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War in the 1960s and '70s. "My contemporaries, our feelings and sensitivities were forged on the battlefields of Vietnam, where we heard the garbage and the lies, and we saw the sacrifice," said Zinni, who was severely wounded while serving as an infantry officer in that conflict. "I ask you, is it happening again?"

Zinni's comments were especially striking because he endorsed President Bush in the 2000 campaign, shortly after retiring from active duty, and serves as an adviser to the State Department on anti-terror initiatives in Indonesia and the Philippines. He preceded Army Gen. Tommy R. Franks as chief of the U.S. Central Command, the headquarters for U.S. military operations in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East.

[LarryM]

General Ninny shooting off his mouth again. Wasn't he the failed ME envoy that his failed boss (Powell) used?

[harpu]

This is the kind of Marine that makes you wonder how he made through his career without being fragged!

[Pokey78]

I don't know, but I smell Wesley Clark in this somehow.

[Fred Mertz]

Watch an honorable man get skinned alive for daring to speak a bit of the truth.

[leadpenny]

If this was coming from the likes of Gen what's-his-name (former drug czar), who spouted off during the first week of the war, I'd be suspicious. Zinni has standing and people should be listening.

[Pukin Dog]

Zinni is a good man........who didnt get the job he wanted.

[WOSG]

Where's that cartoon ... "Is it Vietnam yet?"

Jeez, Louise, mankind has had 10,000 wars, try to be a bit more original in your analogies.

Frankly, why isnt this more like Phillipines 1903? Or Germany 1945? Or Greece 1949?

[Deb]

He did a great job interceding with Pakistan to personally bring Mousheriff (not even close) on board with the war on terrorism, then he went back to being a political hack.

Never trust a Clinton guy.

[88keys]

Interesting. It's the WaPost, of course, and all about Gen. Zinni's "impassioned" speech and opinions...the reported reaction of the "several hundred officers and others" in attendance is at the very end:

Zinni's comments to the joint meeting in Arlington of the U.S. Naval Institute and the Marine Corps Association, two professional groups for officers, were greeted warmly by his audience, with prolonged applause at the end. Some officers bought tapes and compact discs of the speech to give to others.

Tapes and compact discs?! Professional officers' groups? They can report this of course, but it's just a thinly disguised "puff piece" on Zinni, (the "reformed" EX-supporter of President Bush...how convEEENient!) and a "hit piece" on Bush! Wonder what the reactions of the rest of the military (aside from the mentioned groups) would've been to this speech?

"Retired General alert", indeed, and quite possibly add "targeted audience alert"...no offense to the majority of retired generals like McInerny and his ilk, or to any "professional officers' groups"! There's always a couple of the Zinni ilk that the big media can't wait to "cover", and I suppose even "polite applause" as well as "some" (?) purchases (he's a General, after all!) can be construed as unrestrained enthusiasm and endorsement of Zinni's views...(coming next..."Armed Forces start campaign to draft Wesley Clark for President"...LOL!!)

[WOSG]

He also questioned the Bush administration's decision in January to have the Pentagon oversee postwar efforts in Iraq. "Why the hell would the Department of Defense be the organization in our government that deals with the reconstruction of Iraq?" he asked. "Doesn't make sense."

And yet everything we have seen has shown the Dept of State to be compromised and foolhardy and incapable of standing up for US sovereinty. (I forgot her name - but the Dept of State assistant to Garner who did so many destructive things the first month; thank God we got Bremer in there, he seems to be doing much much better.

Newt Gingrich's critiques of the Dept of State were correct. When Powell goes, we should put Newt in charge and fix that broken institution. Most of the 'pros' at state have been none-too-helpful.

He also fails to note that if you take him at his word, the conflict is still on. As such, why is it so bad to have DoD involved and leading, when security is job #1?

In addition, he criticized the administration for not working earlier and harder to win a U.N. resolution that several nations have indicated is a prerequisite to their contributing peacekeeping troops to help in Iraq. "We certainly blew past the U.N.," he said. "Why, I don't know. Now we're going back hat in hand."

Wow, what a mischaracterization - the UN blew past *us* and ignrod our valiant efforts to pay attention and enforce 1441. If we waited for the UN, Saddam would be in power now. We *did* go to the UN, in May (remember that folks?) and got a resolution, yet the UN again (and France etc.) wanted to do as little as possible and undermine us as much as possible. ... It is quite aggravating to see Bush *again* get blamed for the duplicity and hamhandedness of our 'allies' like France ... we are not "hat in hand" now, either. If the UN can help constructively, we will take it - we've been saying that since *April*. If they cant, we will keep plugging away.

IMHO, most criticisms here are backseat driving using the biased media's slant as 'truth'; 20/20 hindsight and all that. To be fair, I am reading this in the comPost, and Zinni may have been more balanced in his speech than these selective blame-thrower quotes.

[88keys]

OTOH, maybe my "beef" is with the WaPost's "presentation"?! Gen. Zinni didn't appear in a very good "light" to the average civilian here...perhaps they should have included a few more excerpts from the actual speech?

[dk/coro]

I agree with you to the degree that most of us were lulled into thinking, a bit naively, that the mopping up would be a bit easier. This complacency was enhanced, I believe, by Rummy's continually upbeat pronouncements...among others. And the SECDEF must come to grips with the manpower shortfall in the Army -- sooner rather than later.

Regardless of the ultimate costs -- both in terms of dollars and lives -- it is a battle that must be joined, and won. Better to take the war to the enemy, so to speak, than the corner of Wall and Broad -- which, figuratively, will come sooner than we would wish!

Sam Huntington has it right IMO: Like it or not, we will have to suck it up for a decades-long fight to the death; a true Clash of Civilizations !! The good news is that the current tactical engagement is right on top of the largest oil reserves in the world. I would suggest we pitch our tent and stay a while.

The liberals are going to be slow coming to grips with this strategic reality. But, another 9/11 (a given) will perhaps tune them in to the real world we live in -- post Iron Curtain.

[ChuckSnow5]

General Zinny is a new age, touchy-feely, PC, Politican PUSSY. He's not a Marine, he's a poser. How do I know? I served on his staff on Camp Pendleton in California.

He's cut from the same liberal, bleating, nipple tilting, milk-toast, bolt of cloth as Wesley Clark. I worked for women generals who were tougher than him. (General Carol Mutter comes to mind. She was tough.)

America has somehow produced a generation of generals who will now say and do anything to avoid going into harm's way. Patton, Chesty, Nimitz, and Lemay (Among many other great American Military leaders) are spinning in their graves listening to these Political Pimps.

Screw General Zinni. Someone please take take the last report from the Base re-allignment and closure commission, roll it up, and jam it in his mouth. He and his ilk joyfully lined up to ascribe to the BRACC. Even the Densest PFC knew closing bases would "enhance training" let alone make America safer. Yet asshole generals like clark and zinni bent over backwards to claim it would.

130 MAJOR military bases were closed during the Clintonista regime. Meanwhile millions of disabled Vet's who relied on those bases were displaced and forced to travel great distances for the benefits they earned, or were forced to buy their own health care for combat and service related injuries.

Meanwhile, during the same time training actually PLUMMETED. Our field traing was reduced from us deploying the entire unit to a foreign friendly nation, and defending that nation from a simulated foe, to moving our desks outside our offices (and passing the phone outside the windows so as not to wast radio batteries.) How does that help us win wars?

Screw General Zinni.

[ChuckSnow5]

General Zinny is a new age, touchy-feely, PC, Politican PUSSY. He's not a Marine, he's a poser. How do I know? I served on his staff on Camp Pendleton in California.

He's cut from the same liberal, bleating, nipple tilting, milk-toast, bolt of cloth as Wesley Clark. I worked for women generals who were tougher than him. (General Carol Mutter comes to mind. She was tough.)

America has somehow produced a generation of generals who will now say and do anything to avoid going into harm's way. Patton, Chesty, Nimitz, and Lemay (Among many other great American Military leaders) are spinning in their graves listening to these Political Pimps.

Screw General Zinni. Someone please take take the last report from the Base re-allignment and closure commission, roll it up, and jam it in his mouth. He and his ilk joyfully lined up to ascribe to the BRACC. Even the Densest PFC knew closing bases would "enhance training" let alone make America safer. Yet asshole generals like clark and zinni bent over backwards to claim it would.

130 MAJOR military bases were closed during the Clintonista regime. Meanwhile millions of disabled Vet's who relied on those bases were displaced and forced to travel great distances for the benefits they earned, or were forced to buy their own health care for combat and service related injuries.

Meanwhile, during the same time training actually PLUMMETED. Our field traing was reduced from us deploying the entire unit to a foreign friendly nation, and defending that nation from a simulated foe, to moving our desks outside our offices (and passing the phone outside the windows so as not to wast radio batteries.) How does that help us win wars?

Screw General Zinni.

[leadpenny]

Morning bump

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Never trust a Clinton guy. Zinny as CENTCOM seemed to screw things up pretty good as I recall.