[NYTr] Former commander attacks Bush Wars - Still More on Sanchez

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

The Independent -Oct 14, 2007
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article3058907.ece

Former commander attacks Bush over 'endless nightmare' in Iraq

By Raymond Whitaker

A former commander of US forces in Iraq has mounted a devastating
attack on the White House, saying a "catastrophic failure" in the Bush
administration's leadership of the Iraq war had plunged the US into "a
nightmare with no end in sight".

Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, who was supreme commander in Iraq
from mid-2003 to mid-2004 before retiring last year, also called the US
troop "surge" in Baghdad and neighbouring provinces a "desperate
attempt by an administration that has not accepted the political and
economic realities of this war". Without naming President George Bush,
he spoke on Friday of "a glaring, unfortunate display of incompetent
strategic leadership" among the politicians in charge. And Lt Gen
Sanchez called for US forces to be reduced quickly, "given the lack of
a grand strategy".

The general's withering criticism may have the effect of silencing
American complaints over Britain's plans to run down its forces in
Iraq. Last week Gordon Brown announced that 4,500 troops would remain
by the end of the year – down from more than 7,000 in January – and
would be reduced further to 2,500 by spring. Officials hinted after the
announcement that the remaining troops would leave by the end of next
year.

Despite reports that Mr Bush was "furious" and "felt betrayed" over the
plan, the US Defence Secretary, Robert Gates, said later that it had
been made with Washington's full consent.