Wiser in Battle- Sanchez

saltwn · #1 (**permalink**) 05-03-2008, 01:46 PM

Quote:

In a new memoir set to be published May 6, the former commander of US forces in Iraq provides new intimate details of the goings-on at high levels of the Bush Administration in the first year of the Iraq war.

His sharp tongued conclusion: "Hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars were unnecessarily spent, and worse yet, too many of our most precious military resource, our American soldiers, were unnecessarily wounded, maimed, and killed as a result. In my mind, this action by the Bush administration amounts to gross incompetence and dereliction of duty."

The Raw Story | Ex-Iraq commander accuses Bush Administration of 'gross incompetence'

Quote:

...called the ACLU "...a bunch of sensationalist liars,
I mean lawyers, that will distort any and all information that they get to draw attention to their positions."

Quote:

After the meeting ended, I remember walking out of the Pentagon shaking my head and wondering how in the world Rumsfeld could have expected me to believe him. Everybody knew that CENTCOM had issued orders to drawdown the forces. The Department of Defense had printed public affairs guidance for how the military should answer press queries about the redeployment. There were victory parades being planned. And in mid-May 2003, Rumsfeld himself had sent out some of his famous "snowflake" memorandums to Gen. Franks asking how the general was going to redeploy all the forces in Kuwait. The Secretary knew. Everybody knew.

Quote:

And the investigators were now telling me that the plan called for a Phase IV (after combat action) operation that would last twelve to eighteen months...

Wiser in Battle: A Soldier's Story : Books

booksprice search page

Thought this interesting and you guys might look it over for a book review. It will be on shelves May sixth, 2008

bhkad · #2 (**permalink**) 05-15-2008, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Saturday, October 13, 2007
When It Comes To Lt. General Ricardo Sanchez, Consider The Source
By Rob on October 13, 2007 at 10:11 am

Scathing criticism of the war effort in Iraq from retired Lt. General Ricardo Sanchez making headlines all over the place right now.

But it’s worth noting that there are some things to remember about this story though that the media - delighting in the opportunity to get in some digs at the Bush administration from someone as accomplished as Lt. General Sanchez - isn’t going to tell you.

First, remember that Lt. General Sanchez is now retired, and that his career pretty much ended with the Abu Ghraib scandal. Sanchez feels he was scapegoated for that, so he has an ax to grind.

Meaning he’s not exactly the most objective source of analysis for the Bush administration’s performance on Iraq. But you’ll notice this tid-bit of information isn’t brought up very prominently in the articles about his latest comments.

When It Comes To Lt. General Ricardo Sanchez, Consider The Source - Say Anything

Quote:

Originally Posted by Menning

Time magazine ran an excerpt from ret. Lt. Gen. Sanchez's memoir, Wiser in Battle: A Soldier's Story.

Here's the link: How Much Did Rumsfeld Know? - TIME

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveMetz

His book is due out on Thursday.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Odom

So you going to buy and review it, too??

Just wondering how far your masochistic tendencies extend after Feith's novel...

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveMetz

I yam. I figure I need to be conversant in all of these when I start doing interviews and talks on mine. On Feith, by the way, he's donating royalties to a soldiers' fund, so I don't feel guilty about buying it. Plus I'm walking on the bright side now, reading Brian Linn's The Echo of Battle.
By the way, Tom Ricks did a dust jacket blurb for me. So I have Ken Pollack, Jeff Record, Robert Steele, Paul van Riper, and Ricks. I'm pretty happy with that.

General Sanchez and the Blame Game - Small Wars Council

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveMetz

(So I'm Trying to Read the Sanchez Book)...or, at least, the OIF* parts. So far after about 20 pages, it's worthless. At least Feith sprinkled some new information and important points into the spew of alibis. Sanchez offers an equal dose of alibis without any redeeming insights or information.

So I'm Trying to Read the Sanchez Book - Small Wars Council

*-Operation Iraqi Freedom

And who is SteveMetz?

Here's Dr. Steve Metz' website: Dr. Steven Metz - Strategic Studies Institute

Here's an excerpt from his Wikipedia entry.

Quote:

Steven Kent Metz (born June 30, 1956 in Charleston, West Virginia) is an American author, Chairman of the Regional Strategy and Planning Department, and Research Professor of National Security Affairs at the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) where he specializes in insurgency and counterinsurgency, American defense policy, strategic theory, the African security environment, and future warfare. He has been with SSI since 1993, previously serving as Henry L. Stimson Professor of Military Studies and SSI's Director of Research. Metz has also been on the faculty of the U.S. Air War College, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and several universities. He has been an advisor to government agencies, political organizations, campaigns and commissions; served on many national security policy task forces; testified in both houses of Congress; and spoken on military and security issues around the world. He is the author of more than 100 publications and is frequently interviewed by print, television and radio media. He is a member of the RAND Corporation Insurgency Board and a member of the United States Republican Party.

Steven Metz - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And for a little dirty humor NSFW!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Van

Steve,
This repeated self-abuse is obviously a cry for help. If you find yourself in Ft. Leavenworth before the end of September, I'll front for a theraputic quantity of bourbon or High Noon Saloon beer. Sanchez, Feith, who's the next rat to leave that ship?

V

P.S. GEN Sanchez (ret) is speaking to the CGSC students tomorrow. Why are they refering to him as "Dirty Sanchez"?
V

P.P.S. (later) I searched for "Dirty Sanchez" on Wiki. Never mind.
V

Mikeyy · #3 (**permalink**) 05-15-2008, 08:13 PM

Scathing criticism of the war effort in Iraq from retired Lt. General Ricardo Sanchez making headlines all over the place right now.

No it isn't. Nobody gives a crap what Sanchez says. It doesn't move the ball at all. People have moved past these convenient confessions. This story is as dead as this thread will prove to be.

saltwn · #4 (**permalink**) 05-15-2008, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhkad

General Sanchez and the Blame Game - Small Wars Council

So I'm Trying to Read the Sanchez Book - Small Wars Council

*-Operation Iraqi Freedom

And who is SteveMetz?

Here's Dr. Steve Metz' website: Dr. Steven Metz - Strategic Studies Institute

Here's an excerpt from his Wikipedia entry.

And for a little dirty humor NSFW!

I realize who Sanchez is. But it's always enlightening to hear views of disgruntled employees. In the private sector, even if they do have an ax to grind, their statements often shed light on problems theretofore unknown.

And Metz is hardly unbiased. It was partly on his advice that some of the tactics criticized by Sanchez were implemented.

bhkad · #5 (**permalink**) 05-15-2008, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltwn

I realize who Sanchez is. But it's always enlightening to hear views of disgruntled employees. In the private sector, even if they do have an ax to grind, their statements often shed light on problems theretofore unknown.

And Metz is hardly unbiased. It was partly on his advice that some of the tactics criticized by Sanchez were implemented.

You are being far too modest. Sanchez' was responsible for much of his own lackluster performance.

mlurp · #6 (**permalink**) 05-17-2008, 04:56 PM

I know he was blamed for a lot of crap. But last night opened my eyes to a lot.
I watched Charlie Rose last night and the entire hour was with LT. General Sanchez, he was open and spoke the truth.

And when Bush stood on the deck of the carrier with that banner behind him things changed dramatically in Iraq. Washington and the Pentagone dropped the ball and even the General going in that 1st week of May was informed we won and it was over. As did Washington. He thought his job was to rebuild. What a wake up call.
And it took nearly a year and a half to get Washington to understand the truth, while the troop reduction was still going on. I never heard the name of his new book but it has to be a real read.
As he said there were three operations going on at one time, Special Forces and the CIA's and the Military. And he mentioned the fact while in Afghanistan, troops were told not to follow the Genva Convention and they were the first to be sent to him him while the Military withdrawl was still going on in Iraq. He spoke about our involvement in Kosvo and earler situation in the same area.
One of the best C. Rose shows I have seen. To sum it up we again screwed up from the start. Bush and his bosses want $ and that was what counted, nothing else. Just maybe others need to read his book before pasing judgement. He coved a lot of ground. And we never had all the facts, which we might have now!

mlurp · #7 (**permalink**) 05-17-2008, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltwn

I realize who Sanchez is. But it's always enlightening to hear views of disgruntled employees. In the private sector, even if they do have an ax to grind, their statements often shed light on problems theretofore unknown.

And Metz is hardly unbiased. It was partly on his advice that some of the tactics criticized by Sanchez were implemented.

Another think tank that some how become the 4th branch to implement policy

and make policy changes. Which are funded by the Blue Bloods. And like political appointees are not needed in a true democracy.

Thank you Salty...

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