Ex-Envoy Criticizes Bush's Postwar Policy (Zinni, Bush's ex-Guy in Israel)

[StandWatie]

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.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A27846-2003Sep4?language=printer

[underpants]

1. 9 months of war planning 28 days of peace planning

Clinton's military did very well
Bush has lost the war for peace


~"the forces on the ground... Captains and NCO's win wars Generals and above can lose a war"
-Clark

[StandWatie]

2. check this out..

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.

Either that was a wierd audience or some attitudes have definately changed in the military.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

3. the military

is OVER AWOL. Come on, he sends the to die in a quagmire, cuts their pay and guts veterans' benefits. I'd hate him too.

[gratuitous]

4. It will take an officer of extraordinary bravery

I see a lot of critiques from Zinni and others who have lately left the service. Their analyses are thoughtful, their points well-taken and grounded in concrete examples, and every last one of them is given by someone who can't do anything about it anymore.

I realize that the officer corps have certain constraints on them; they fight for freedom, but don't experience it themselves. But I would really like to see a group of officers, maybe even just one in an influential position like Zinni was not so very long ago, come out publicly with this sort of criticism.

I understand the military culture that enforces a certain code of silence on active commanders, and the damage it can do to troop morale to have officers publicly railing against the civilian command. But when the problems are so overt, when the malfeasance by the civilians over the military is so egregious, and troops are getting killed because of that misconduct, neglect, arrogance, or just plain stupidity, then military leaders in a position to know those facts do a disservice to the country by remaining silent.

It will take an officer of extraordinary bravery to put his career on the line for this. But I hope someone does this soon.