PressCoverage

Former U.S. Commander In Iraq: War Is Lost

Retired Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez commanded U.S. forces during the first year of the Iraq war. In “his first interview since he retired last year,” Sanchez has said that the war in Iraq is lost, and the best outcome America can hope for is to “stave off defeat.” From his remarks after a recent speech in San Antonio:

“I think if we do the right things politically and economically with the right Iraqi leadership we could still salvage at least a stalemate, if you will — not a stalemate but at least stave off defeat,” Sanchez told the San Antonio Express-News. “It’s also kind of important for us to answer the question, ‘What is victory?’, and at this point I’m not sure America really knows what victory is.” […]

“I am absolutely convinced that America has a crisis in leadership at this time and we’ve got to do whatever we can to help the next generation of leaders do better than we have done over the past five years,” Sanchez said, “better than what this cohort of political and military leaders have done.”

Sanchez “is the highest-ranking former military leader yet to suggest the Bush administration has fallen short in Iraq.” In April, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) also said that at this stage, the war in Iraq “can only be won diplomatically, politically and economically“:

“I believe…that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything, as is shown by the extreme violence in Iraq this week,” Reid told journalists. […]

“I know I was the odd guy out at the White House, but I told him at least what he needed to hear … I believe the war at this stage can only be won diplomatically, politically and economically.”

At the time, the right wing viciously attacked Reid, calling him “an embarrassment” and charging that his comments were “very, very close to treason.” But since that time, other generals, in addition to Sanchez, have spoken out against the war.

Nevertheless, conservatives continue to pound the issue. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has threatened that if a vote of no-confidence on Alberto Gonzales is brought to the floor, he may bring an amendment on “whether the Iraq War is actually ‘lost’ as Reid has suggested.”

All_Around_Brown

Is this guy a traitor or what? These scumbags like Mitch McConnell deserve the stocks for treason.

The Republicans and Bush will be solely responsible for breaking the US military when all is said and done.

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PressCoverage

must just be political partisan hackery, of course...

must just be a "get bush" syndrome...

Real World

I don't see where he says "the war is lost". Are my eyes decieving me?

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"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

BelichickFan

Well it says :

"I believe…that this war is lost"

but there's no hint about the missing words.

Maybe he really said "I believe that if all US troops quit and go home that this war is lost". Who knows . . . part of the sentence is missing.

Real World

No, you made me look again, and those were that POS Reid's words. Sanchez didn't say that, unless I'm missing something. Which I very well may be mind you.

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"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

PressCoverage

no, that is Reid saying that... and, as much as i hate to admit it, RW has a point...

i can't find anywhere where it says Sanchez said "the War is lost"... he did say winning is not possible, and the best we can hope for to "salvage at least a stalemate" ...

BelichickFan

The only thing I agree with from this, yet another stunningly misleading, thread is Sanchez' comment that "“It’s also kind of important for us to answer the question, ‘What is victory?’, and at this point I’m not sure America really knows what victory is.”"

scout

We won't know what victory is until the troops pull out and Bush's spin machine starts to proclaim victory. Not being a wiseass, but thats a sure thing.

PressCoverage

of course that's the only innocuous thing you can let yourself agree with...

however, wtf do you mean by "another stunningly misleading thread?"

he called the situation "bleak"
he said victory is no longer possible... unless, ofcourse, we move the goalposts and "re-examine" what we wish to call "victory"... (how convenient)...
he said the best we can hope for is a stalemate...

it is irresponsible of ThinkProgress to suggest he said "lost" if he's not quoted as saying such in his speech (still looking for the speech transcripts)... but, on the other hand, he's all but did say it... he said we can't win unless we change the definition of "win", he said we could tie... oh... i guess he's not literally saying we've lost... but wow...