The Washington Post points out that in the hubbub of the McClellan book, another scathing memoir has come out exposing the truth behind Iraq.
Getting lost in the media furor over McClellan's memoir is the new autobiography of retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, the onetime commander of U.S. troops in Iraq, who is scathing in his assessment that the Bush administration "led America into a strategic blunder of historic proportions."
Among the anecdotes in "Wiser in Battle: A Soldier's Story" is an arresting portrait of Bush after four contractors were killed in Fallujah in 2004, triggering a fierce U.S. response that was reportedly egged on by the president.
During a videoconference with his national security team and generals, Sanchez writes, Bush launched into what he described as a "confused" pep talk:
"Kick ass!" he quotes the president as saying. "If somebody tries to stop the march to democracy, we will seek them out and kill them! We must be tougher than hell! This Vietnam stuff, this is not even close. It is a mind-set. We can't send that message. It's an excuse to prepare us for withdrawal."
"There is a series of moments and this is one of them. Our will is being tested, but we are resolute. We have a better way. Stay strong! Stay the course! Kill them! Be confident! Prevail! We are going to wipe them out! We are not blinking!"
A White House spokesman had no comment. - hp
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
General Ricardo Sanchez's Book Slams Bush, Iraq Handling
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Seeing that Sanchez is retired (well pushed out of the military) does this open a door for him within the next President's (Obama of course) Military Cabinet? If I am not mistaken, Sanchez was a strong advocate of Powell Doctrine military actions, however unlike Powell he didn't fold under the pressure of going against what was the right thing to say & do.
Just some "out of the box" thinking given Rummy cleaned house of any responsible career military personnel at the DoD, and it will need some serious credible restaffing to extricate ourselves out of Iraq in some realistic manner.
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