This just in over at Huffington Post. Another memoir is out which skewers the administration and gives even more insight into how the Bush cabal has been running this whole clusterfuck of an occupation in Iraq.
Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, former commander of U.S. troops in Iraq, has published a, "scathing assessment" that the Bush administration "led America into a strategic blunder of historic proportions."
From Huffington Post:
Among the anecdotes in "Wiser in Battle: A Soldier's Story" is an arresting portrait of Bush after four contractors were killed in Fallujah in 2004, triggering a fierce U.S. response that was reportedly egged on by the president.
During a videoconference with his national security team and generals, Sanchez writes, Bush launched into what he described as a "confused" pep talk:
Kick ass! he quotes the president as saying. "If somebody tries to stop the march to democracy, we will seek them out and kill them! We must be tougher than hell! This Vietnam stuff, this is not even close. It is a mind-set. We can't send that message. It's an excuse to prepare us for withdrawal."
"There is a series of moments and this is one of them. Our will is being tested, but we are resolute. We have a better way. Stay strong! Stay the course! Kill them! Be confident! Prevail! We are going to wipe them out! We are not blinking!"
More and more, from disparate sources, we are being given insight into the very tiny and petty mind of the current occupant of the White House.
What will Dana tell us about Gen. Sanchez? Is he also nothing more than a "disgrunteled man?" Is he a "turncoat," too? There seem to be a lot of disgruntled turncoats coming out of the White House woodwork these days. Sanchez, like Scott McClellen, surely had a duty to speak up. Sanchez, it seems, is making a similar attempt to be contrite in order to save his ass. However, Sanchez, unlike McClellen, played a direct role in the prosecution of the war in Iraq.
Let's add him to the list of those who need to be subpeoned by Congress ASAP.
Here is an editorial review of Sanchez' book:
Amid all of the criticisms of America's war in Iraq, one essential voice has remained silent—until now. In his groundbreaking new memoir, Wiser in Battle, Lieutenant General Ricardo S. Sanchez, former commander of coalition forces in Iraq, reports back from the front lines of the global war on terror to provide a comprehensive and chilling exploration of America's historic military and foreign policy blunder.
With unflinching candor, Sanchez describes the chaos on the Iraqi battlefield caused by the Bush administration's misguided command of the military, as well as his own struggle to set the coalition on the path toward victory. Sanchez illuminates the fallout of the communication breakdown between the leadership on the front and the politicians in Washington, revealing fractious discussions he had with, among others, Ambassador Paul Bremer and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Drawing on his tenure on the ground, Sanchez shows how minor insurgent attacks grew into synchronized operations that finally ignited into a major insurgency and all-out civil war. He provides an insider's account of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, explaining the circumstances that led to the abuses, who perpetrated them, and what the formal investigations revealed—all the while reflecting on America's objectionable use of torture and the grave need for the country's leadership to pursue an ethical course of action in the war on terror. Sanchez also details the cynical use of the Iraq War for political gain in Washington and shows how the pressure of an around-the-clock news cycle drove and distorted critical battle decisions, such as troop drawdowns, the fight for Fallujah, and the transfer of sovereignty.
In addition, Sanchez shares the story of his career. He tells of the journey from his poverty-stricken youth on the Texas banks of the Rio Grande to joining the Reserve Officers' Training Corps at sixteen and later serving in Kosovo, Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and, ultimately, Iraq. At the time of his retirement, Sanchez was the highest-ranking Hispanic in the U.S. Army.
The first book written by a former on-site commander in Iraq, Wiser in Battle is essential reading for all who wish to understand the current war and the American military's role in the new century.
Doesn't seem like there is anything in here that covers his own blame. We'll have to wait for a more objective analysis.