[Vision2020] 05-24-04 Washington Post: Retired General Assails Planning for Iraq War

Mon, 24 May 2004 06:56:12 -0700

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Excellent article.

General Zinni was interviewed last night on "60 Minutes".  He stated during
the interview that he felt that the Iraqi war was the wrong war at the wrong
time.  He further stated that Secretary Rumsfeld should step down.  Things
appear to get uglier and uglier for "the finest Secretary of Defense in the
history of our nation" (according to George Bush).

And the beat goes on.

See you at the polls,

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
  -----Original Message-----
  From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]On
Behalf Of Art Deco aka W. Fox
  Sent: Monday, May 24, 2004 6:35 AM
  To: Vision 2020
  Subject: [Vision2020] 05-24-04 Washington Post: Retired General Assails
Planning for Iraq War

   washingtonpost.com
  Retired General Assails Planning for Iraq War
  Zinni Warns Against Staying the Course

  By Mike Allen
  Washington Post Staff Writer
  Monday, May 24, 2004; Page A19

  Retired Marine Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, former U.S. commander in the Middle
East, charges in a book to be published today that "everybody in the
military knew" that the Bush administration's plan for Iraq consisted of
only half the troops that were needed, and says that country is now "a
powder keg" that could break apart into warring regions.

  Zinni has been a critic of the Iraq war since before the invasion and
served briefly as a special envoy for President Bush. He wrote that he was
moved to speak out by "false rationales presented as a justification; a
flawed strategy; lack of planning; the unnecessary alienation of our allies;
the underestimation of the task; the unnecessary distraction from real
threats; and the unbearable strain dumped on our overstretched military."

  "In the lead-up to the Iraq war and its later conduct, I saw, at a
minimum, true dereliction, negligence, and irresponsibility; at worst,
lying, incompetence, and corruption," he wrote. " . . . If there is a center
that can hold this mess together, I don't know what it is. Civil war could
break out at any time. Resources are needed; a strategy is needed; and a
plan is needed."

  The harsh new critique is being released just as Bush heads to the U.S.
Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pa., to present his latest strategy
for Iraq in a prime-time address at 8 p.m. today. Zinni is hitting the
interview circuit at a time when Republican lawmakers have turned sharply
pessimistic about the situation in Iraq and the White House continues trying
to restore confidence in its handling of the war despite falling poll
numbers and continuing revelations about brutality against detainees in
Iraq.

  The book, "Battle Ready," is by novelist Tom Clancy, with Zinni and Tony
Koltz. Zinni was U.S. special envoy to the Middle East for Secretary of
State Colin L. Powell from November 2002 to March 2003. In several
interviews and statements at the time, Bush mentioned Zinni's presence in
the region as one reason for his optimism about the peace process and said
he was looking forward to his recommendations. Referring to himself and Vice
President Cheney, Bush said during an exchange with reporters in the Oval
Office, "We both trust General Zinni."

  A passage written by Zinni voiced support for the views of retired Gen.
Eric K. Shinseki, the former Army chief of staff, whose estimate that
several hundred thousand troops would be needed in postwar Iraq was
dismissed by the administration as wildly off the mark. "Recently, the Army
chief of staff testified that we would need 300,000 troops to pacify Iraq,"
Zinni wrote. "Everybody in the military knew he was right. But the party
line down from the Pentagon decreed that the number was half that, and he
was pilloried."

  Zinni, 60, appeared last night on CBS's "60 Minutes" and said that staying
the course in Iraq is not feasible. "The course is headed over Niagara
Falls," he said. "I think it's time to change course a little bit or at
least hold somebody responsible for putting you on this course." He said the
current situation is the product of "poor strategic thinking" combined with
"poor operational planning and execution on the ground."

  Zinni was one of the earliest and most outspoken critics of the war and
remains highly regarded in the military. He was commander of the U.S.
Central Command from 1997 to 2000. He wrote that when he left, he had a
preliminary plan for attacking Iraq. "I'm not sure where it went after I
left. As far as I can tell, the plan was pigeonholed," he said.

  His successor, Gen. Tommy R. Franks, prosecuted the war past the fall of
Baghdad and is now retired. Discussing the Iraq war with The Washington Post
in December, Zinni said he believed that "the American people were conned
into this."

  © 2004 The Washington Post Company

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<DIV><SPAN class=3D041265213-24052004><FONT color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>Excellent=20
article.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D041265213-24052004><FONT color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D041265213-24052004><FONT color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>General Zinni was=20
interviewed last night on "60 Minutes".&nbsp; He stated during the =
interview=20
that he felt that the Iraqi war was the wrong war at the wrong =
time.&nbsp; He=20
further stated that Secretary Rumsfeld should step down.&nbsp; Things =
appear to=20
get uglier and uglier for "the finest Secretary of Defense in the =
history of our=20
nation" (according to George Bush).</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D041265213-24052004><FONT color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D041265213-24052004><FONT color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>And =
the beat goes=20
on.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D041265213-24052004><FONT color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D041265213-24052004><FONT color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>See =
you at the=20
polls,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D041265213-24052004><FONT color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D041265213-24052004><FONT color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>Tom =

Hansen</DIV>
<DIV>Moscow,=20
Idaho</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px =
solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
 <DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft>-----Original Message----- From: =
vision2020-admin@moscow.com=20
 [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]On Behalf Of Art Deco aka =
W.=20
 Fox Sent: Monday, May 24, 2004 6:35 AM To: Vision=20
 2020 Subject: [Vision2020] 05-24-04 Washington Post: Retired =
General=20
 Assails Planning for Iraq War </DIV>
 <DIV>
 <SCRIPT language=3Djavascript>=0A=
=0A=
</SCRIPT>
 &nbsp;<A =
href=3D"http://www.washingtonpost.com/"><FONT=20
 face=3Dhelvetica,arial color=3D#000000 =
size=3D-1>washingtonpost.com=20
 </A>
 Retired General Assails Planning for Iraq =
War=20
 Zinni Warns Against Staying the Course=20
 By Mike Allen Washington Post Staff =
Writer Monday, May=20
 24, 2004; Page A19 
 <NITF>
 Retired Marine Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, former U.S. commander in the =
Middle=20
 East, charges in a book to be published today that "everybody in the =
military=20
 knew" that the Bush administration's plan for Iraq consisted of only =
half the=20
 troops that were needed, and says that country is now "a powder keg" =
that=20
 could break apart into warring regions.
 Zinni has been a critic of the Iraq war since before the invasion =
and=20
 served briefly as a special envoy for President Bush. He wrote that he =
was=20
 moved to speak out by "false rationales presented as a justification; =
a flawed=20
 strategy; lack of planning; the unnecessary alienation of our allies; =
the=20
 underestimation of the task; the unnecessary distraction from real =
threats;=20
 and the unbearable strain dumped on our overstretched military."
 "In the lead-up to the Iraq war and its later conduct, I saw, at a =
minimum,=20
 true dereliction, negligence, and irresponsibility; at worst, lying,=20
 incompetence, and corruption," he wrote. " . . . If there is a center =
that can=20
 hold this mess together, I don't know what it is. Civil war could =
break out at=20
 any time. Resources are needed; a strategy is needed; and a plan is=20
 needed."
 The harsh new critique is being released just as Bush heads to the =
U.S.=20
 Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pa., to present his latest =
strategy for=20
 Iraq in a prime-time address at 8 p.m. today. Zinni is hitting the =
interview=20
 circuit at a time when Republican lawmakers have turned sharply =
pessimistic=20
 about the situation in Iraq and the White House continues trying to =
restore=20
 confidence in its handling of the war despite falling poll numbers and =

  continuing revelations about brutality against detainees in Iraq.</P>
  <P>The book, "Battle Ready," is by novelist Tom Clancy, with Zinni and =
Tony=20
  Koltz. Zinni was U.S. special envoy to the Middle East for Secretary =
of State=20
  Colin L. Powell from November 2002 to March 2003. In several =
interviews and=20
  statements at the time, Bush mentioned Zinni's presence in the region =
as one=20
  reason for his optimism about the peace process and said he was =
looking=20
  forward to his recommendations. Referring to himself and Vice =
President=20
  Cheney, Bush said during an exchange with reporters in the Oval =
Office, "We=20
  both trust General Zinni."</P>
  <P>A passage written by Zinni voiced support for the views of retired =
Gen.=20
  Eric K. Shinseki, the former Army chief of staff, whose estimate that =
several=20
  hundred thousand troops would be needed in postwar Iraq was dismissed =
by the=20
  administration as wildly off the mark. "Recently, the Army chief of =
staff=20
  testified that we would need 300,000 troops to pacify Iraq," Zinni =
wrote.=20
  "Everybody in the military knew he was right. But the party line down =
from the=20
  Pentagon decreed that the number was half that, and he was =
pilloried."</P>
  <P>Zinni, 60, appeared last night on CBS's "60 Minutes" and said that =
staying=20
  the course in Iraq is not feasible. "The course is headed over Niagara =
Falls,"=20
  he said. "I think it's time to change course a little bit or at least =
hold=20
  somebody responsible for putting you on this course." He said the =
current=20
  situation is the product of "poor strategic thinking" combined with =
"poor=20
  operational planning and execution on the ground."</P>
  <P>Zinni was one of the earliest and most outspoken critics of the war =
and=20
  remains highly regarded in the military. He was commander of the U.S. =
Central=20
  Command from 1997 to 2000. He wrote that when he left, he had a =
preliminary=20
  plan for attacking Iraq. "I'm not sure where it went after I left. As =
far as I=20
  can tell, the plan was pigeonholed," he said.</P>
  <P>His successor, Gen. Tommy R. Franks, prosecuted the war past the =
fall of=20
  Baghdad and is now retired. Discussing the Iraq war with The =
Washington Post=20
  in December, Zinni said he believed that "the American people were =
conned into=20
  this."</P>
  <P></P></NITF>
  <P>
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