I worked directly for Gen Sanchez in his office while he was at another command. I found him to be very honest and upfront, and I really did enjoy working for him. I obviously cannot speak for what happened in Iraq, as I was not working for him than. But I truly believe he is speaking the truth as he as seen it. Clearly there are many cooks who have been involved in the war in Iraq, I pray that we look past where we have been and where we need to go, so that we can stabilize Iraq and give them freedom. I have spent sometime in the Middle East; human rights violations are a daily way of life.

Did William Arkin even bother to read LTG Sanchez's book? Every bit of information he references can be found in articles related to it, but he gives no sufficient evidence that he has sat down and objectively read the words of Sanchez.

Completely biased, bombastic journalism. A real shame.

What is ridiculous, is that no one in congress (or elsewhere) has the guts to get to the BOTTOM of this mess... funny how congress jumped on the chance to impeach Clinton; doesn't anyone think that what Bush/Cheney are doing is FAR WORSE than Clinton's scandal? Yes, i know "sex sells"... but come on... Bush/Cheney has RUINED our country's reputation, ruined the lives of our servicemen and women, and ruined the lives of everyone involved. How many more servicemen/women will die or be imprisoned as a direct result of Bush/Cheney's orders???

Congress, reporters, Americans... you ALL have a duty to get to the bottom of this and have the leaders of this war, for once, ACT like Leaders and take responsiblity for their actions. PLEASE! Enough is enough!

we should honor those who believe in freedom and free the prostitutes not those who created Abu Ghrib and watched the humiliation and tortures, not those who killed the innocent in Fallugah and cosed us to lose 4000 man for no reason.

Posted by: a mather,

Those kind of sentiments resulted in Jesus being hung on a cross. He once told the Jews that the prostitutes..., would enter into the Kingdom before they would!

Watch your back mather, your countrymen neither care for messiahs or truth tellers!

we should honor those who believe in freedom and free the prostitutes not those who created Abu Ghrib and watched the humiliation and tortures, not those who killed the innocent in Fallugah and cosed us to lose 4000 man for no reason.

one needs to be far, Gen. Ricardo needs to remember that his soldiers had humiliated my people in iraq. Abu Ghrib will not be forgotten, Iraqi and all human in the world will never forget that Abu Ghrib torture and rap was under his eyes. Truth will come one day, and the Gen. Must understand that his book will not help him when he goes to sleep every night and remember the pictures of Abu Ghrib. Gen. You need to be honest and admit that you are guilty and it is not the man who help the prostitutes to be free. When you get a call for help as a policeman or military man from someone who asks for help, you job required you to response to the call not to judge who is calling. You men who died in iraq, died in pain and I ask you if you are honest and truly love your country to go and visit the graves of those who died because of a big mistake that you did like closing your eyes from what was going on in Abu Ghrib. You should not be able to look at the mirror every time you remember who many Iraqi died and Americans because of you ignorant. Remember, that Iraqi will not forgive you for not apologizing for what your men did in Abu Ghrib and Falloja. The man who helped Iraqi and did not discriminate between the leady and the restitute does not receive your respect but he is respected by those who believe in freedom. Go back to your time in Iraq and see how the Iraqi buildings, museums and the Iraqi CenteBank was looted under your eyes and your men did not care until the dangerous became closer to the Oil ministry. Do you remember who secured the Oil Ministry and who watch other building while it was looted. If you do not remember ask the Iraqi who are victims twice, once by the dictator and once by your recest against human being.

I'm no fan of any of the Generals who failed to spit in the eyes of Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld and resign in public protest of their lies, distortions and complete ineptitude. However, for Mr. Arkin to wag his guilty finger at anyone else is too much. I don't recall him calling out the Administration before and during the early days of the war. Civilians, sitting on the sidelines, saw what was happening and were clamoring for changes and yet the Press, especially the WaPo FAILED to exercise its important function simply climbed on board the doomed ship.

Your pointing your finger at Gen. Sanchez is no different than what he's doing to Rumsfeld...passing the buck. You are all derelict in your duty. Shame!

Mr. Arkin, you're describing the WRONG GENERAL cashing in.

Here's the operative quote in Sanchez's story,

Rumsfeld says, "Ric, I wanted to tell you that I'm interested in giving you some options for follow-on employment as a civilian in the Department of Defense."

Later....Sanchez & his wife are talking about this.

"'Ricardo, they are just trying to buy you off and keep you silent,' said Maria Elena."

That is exactly how the "Military Analysts" are controlled.

No we're not supposed to listen to "the guy who presided over Iraq's implosion and Abu Ghraib", that would be our idiot decider-in-chief! Remember, he got rid of the generals who didn't toe the administration's line and approved torture from within the White House. What have you been smoking, Arkin?

When did James Guckert/Jeff Gannon change his name AGAIN, this time to William Arkin?

Any current military officers out there who would like to fall on their sword for the American people?

A guy like Ollie North falls on his sword for the politicians, gets convicted of 4 felonies and now enjoys speaking tour income and a job on TV. Here, Gen Sanchez tries to come clean against the politicians after he retires to clear his conscience and he's a profiteer. No doubt seen as whoring at the expense of the American people.

I have a feeling that if an active duty officer or intelligence official became a whistleblower they would be called a traitor by the false patriots of the right and be seen as left-wing spokesperson for evermore. Oh wait, Richard Clarke already fits that role.

Who is pure enough to try to come clean and be seen as an altruistic agent of truth? So far the only formula that seems to work is the criminal who panders to the false patriots, i.e. North, Libby, Rove, Furman. These guys are lauded as heroes in their circles. Everyone else is seen as having alterior motives or castigated for some ancillary reason.

It's seems to be hard to do the right thing.

Arkin, is Sanchez' effort to write this book really overshadowed by his apparent desire for profit? How else should he have done it? Did you ever have a moral dilemma that you swallowed and gutted rather than ruin your pension, discharge status and social standing? Tough freakin crowd.

al75 and Wessex,

I will agree with you both if what you are conveying is that American generals should have spoken up 'a priori', or refused to obey the desultory and treasonous orders that were given from top command.

I believe that there is a time when all of us should be conscientious objectors, particularly as it relates to venal policies and executive perfidy!

Every one who failed to speak up before, Powell, Sanchez and even former CIA Director George Tenet are reaping the whirlwind for speaking up after the fact.

I agree with Wessex, below: even if there's the usual self-serving whining, I'm curious to know more about Sanchez's account of Bush's leadership.

The portrait of Bush urging his generals to be "tough as hell" and to "kill'm" while apparently blind to the larger political and strategic problems, is believable to me - and has important relevance to the rumblings of a new 3rd war with Iran.

I would like to ask as an iraqi why the General upset from liberating prostitutes, but not upset from his men raping Iraqi prisoners in abu Ghrib. If democracy means rap is ok, I say the dictator Saddam had done the same so there is no different when it comes to those who are in power. I really wonder why the general did not do anything about the looting that happened under his eyes, the rap, the demolish of all Iraqi wealth, why his soldiers protected only the oil ministry. Can the General tell us where is the money of Iraqi that was in the central bank, in Sadam's places.

Another General Cashing In...

and so is China. For every wasted dollar spent in or for the Iraqi war, China primarily, and a few other nations are also making a killing in interest receipts.

Can you say ching ching, or China China?

It makes you wonder, for if Senator McCain were to become a 2-term president, who would the USA borrow money from in order to wage war with China, the Social Security fund? All of us know that Senator McCain will eventually start a war with someone!

Ah I know, Senator McCain and the Republicans would ask to borrow money from China in order to wage war with China!

The US Congress has been going about this matter the wrong way. The way to stop the war in Iraq is to cut off the money train from China and elsewhere! Cut off the supply lines, and the war is over!

Congress should ask China to put an end to the Iraqi war for Bush cannot veto China's decision!

And just as it took a Democratic administration to come in and to clean up a similar mess left pver by the Republican Reagan administration, it will take the Democrats to come in again and clean up Republican George Bush's mess!

==What happened to that? If the plan was to exit in twelve to eighteen months why are we still there five years later?==

The insurgency, death, mayhem and civil war happened. Who knew? No one was supposed to really fight us...

You just can't trust these Arabs, I say.

One of these books, I can't remember which one, claimed that Rumsfeld wanted an early exit of troops. What happened to that? If the plan was to exit in twelve to eighteen months why are we still there five years later?

This is the link to a Sanchez chapter;
http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1736831,00.html

==If the Post can't even afford somebody to check spelling, who's fact-checking? Or should we give up on the idea of halfway decent journalism in this country?==

It's a blog, a minor league editorial, dude. There are dozens at the Post alone. No one is fact-checking and spell-checking, the few remaining paid staff they have are in the news room. By the way, shouldn't "halfway" be hyphenated? I have read that the language powers that be are removing a lot of the hyphens used previously, but perhaps not that one? You check, all right?

The American military commanders are caught between an incredible American dichotomy -

One one hand we insist that they remain loyal to their Commander-in-Chief; he is our President, not our Commander-in-Chief.

On the other hand we criticize the same individuals for speaking openly when they, not all of them, return to civilian life. We've got make up our minds.

Today I was thinking about Dr. MLK in light of our 3-headed dragon leadership in DC minus Rumsfeld (albeit he still consults). I attended the ground-breaking ceremony for the MLK Memorial in Washington DC a year ago.

I wonder, where will they place the monument for our fearless leader at on the mall? Will he be sitting atop a horse looking like a 'stone wall'? I suspect that his monumental achievments will earn him a monument at the rear of someone elses!

Hate to nitpick, but reigns aren't handed over. Reins are.

If the Post can't even afford somebody to check spelling, who's fact-checking? Or should we give up on the idea of halfway decent journalism in this country?

It's the "I DIDN'T DO IT" excuse

which is appropriat from a member of the "I Didn't Do It" administration of george bush

that kinda sums up the WHOLE repuglitard party

It appears Sanchez is asking the same questions most of us ask..why did you remain when you questioned Bush, DOD leadership and the military infrastructure which supports such a "broke" war/post war strategy.

Did not McMasters book..so reviewed by so many say...that the generals from the Vietnam War should of spoken up either during their duty years or resigned and spoke up...are we not experiencing the same situational issues today?

Absolutely, except in today's realm, former generals move to contract companies like KBR and Dyncorp (Schoomaker, former Chief of Staff of US Army), General Zinni (former Centcom Commander), General McCaffery (former drug czar), and others-Ike was correct for America to take note of the military industrial complex.

FUBAR

Vive la Revolucion & Greenbacks for Everybody,

And I forgot to add, wasn't it you who said that these folks were mostly mercenaries, and I concurred, Bill O'Reilly not withstanding?

And, Afghani and Iraqi generals and others were handed over briefcases full of money -why shouldn't Generale` Sanchez get him some greenbacks!

The revolucion is being televised - the Generale~ needs to send his kids to college just like GB43 must do!

Show Me The (Money) Pesos...!

Ah come on Mr. Arkin, you're being too hard on the General. How many of us would have survived a Don Rumseld (who didn't care what fellow-cabinet members, his subordinates, old European allies, West Point Grads, Annapolis Grads or Stanford PHds thought or had to say)?

Interestingly enough, Rummy placed college kids over the important departments in Iraq. Hmm?

Sanchez and others were relegated to the status of cabin boys, while at the same time they had to watch while contractors with less responsibility, earn more than they did.

The Military, who provided security for everyone else, is getting their piece of the American money-laundering scheme, I mean American enterprise system just asCheney and Bush have done and will do.

The only thing he is doing wrong in my opinion, he's not getting his pesos from George Bush, Dick Cheney or Don Rumsfeld!

Pesos and Sangria for everyone, muchachos!
Besides, the Mission Has Been Accomplished again, and again, and again and again! Por favor!

Perhaps General Arkin could get off his ego trip and deploy some investigative reporter to do his job for him...ie. try to confirm or disprove Sanchez's claim that Rumsfield ordered a report which he then embargoed after it supported Sanchez's and not Tommy Frank's, Rumsfield and Arkin's desired version of reality.

viz...This from Sanchez excerpt in Time mag:

"Yes, sir. Our report validated everything you told us -- that Franks issued the orders to discard the original twelve-to-eighteen-month occupation deployment, that the forces were drawing down, that we were walking away from the mission, and that everybody knew about it. And let me tell you, the Secretary did not like that one bit. After we went in to brief him, he just shut us down. 'This is not going anywhere,' he said. 'Oh, and by the way, leave all the copies right here and don't talk to anybody about it.'"

"You mean he embargoed all the copies of the report?" I asked.

"Yes, sir, he did."

Perhaps General Arkin could get off his ego trip and deploy some investigative reporter to do his job for him...ie. try to confirm or disprove Sanchez's claim that Rumsfield ordered a report which he then embargoed after it supported Sanchez's and not Tommy Frank's, Rumsfield and Arkin's desired version of reality.

viz...This from Sanchez excerpt in Time mag:

"Yes, sir. Our report validated everything you told us -- that Franks issued the orders to discard the original twelve-to-eighteen-month occupation deployment, that the forces were drawing down, that we were walking away from the mission, and that everybody knew about it. And let me tell you, the Secretary did not like that one bit. After we went in to brief him, he just shut us down. 'This is not going anywhere,' he said. 'Oh, and by the way, leave all the copies right here and don't talk to anybody about it.'"

"You mean he embargoed all the copies of the report?" I asked.

"Yes, sir, he did."

Had you thought to actually do a bit of reporting (Stephen Colbert had you pegged in that dinner speech), you might have sought out some of the people who Sanchez relates were told to 'leave all copies here' by Rumsfeld to verify his claim. Instead, you've written a petulant "nothing to see here, move along" cover for the 'Top' in 'Top Down Management'. What's it take to wake you up? Perhaps one of Bush's "Kick Ass" rants showing up on YouTube?

This was a top down directed war, micromanaged by idiots over a videophone. There have been numerous books and articles on this war, and Sanchez will contribute his side of the story. It will be up to historians to sift through all this material and attempt to find the truth. Franks was smart to get out after the ground invasion. He knew these idiots were going to create a mess in Iraq, and the ground commanders didn't have the authority, forces, or equipment to sustain an occupation. Anything the Bush Administration touches is a failure.

This piece seems more fit for gawker than the WaPo. There's a reason all these people are trying to defend themselves, because the cabal at the top made such a mess of it. Soldiers are still dying and Iraq is a complete mess and you write off new evidence as if this were Lindsay Lohan tying to rehab her image.

What exactly is your point? You say "the story is about as powerful as a nerf grenade." But you mention some pretty provocative information, like that the president gave incoherent "pep talks" rather than direction, and everyone blames everyone else. You act like this is old news, like no big deal, like ancient history-- but the war is still going on, if you haven't noticed, and the same two guys are at the top. Don't you think it's a bit more interesting that so many of Bush's generals come out with these terrifying tales of "no one in charge"? No. You just get all silly about him promoting a book. Well, why don't you get to the real point-- that the crime is all these generals waited to tell us about the absolute perfidy and incompetence of this war?

Oh. Right. That's ancient history to you Beltway types. And yeah, I guess it is if you can ignore that the war is still going under and Bush is still president.

But I know. It's a lot easier to be cynical and say nothing matters than actually to address the issues.

What are they paying you for again? Oh, right. To be snarky.

What a pathetic state of affairs. Is there anyone among these pygmies who isn't just mythologizing his own lagacy while the failure of all of them together is before our eyes?

So it begins- the re-writing of history. As more and more of these books come out from various Bush administration officials the more that the truth will be twisted backwards. I am not referring as such to General Sanchez's book but to the other authors that are mentioned. i think that one of the reasons that Turd Blossom left the White House was to begin to burnish Bush's reputation.When you have people who think that they are right no matter what they will do anything to continue the big lie.

Sanchez is nothing: Cheney will soon try to cash-in with Corporate America and their Lobbyists. Since Congress hasn't got the guts to impeach him and his underling, Bush, it's time to start a campaign for a national boycott of any Company which takes Cheney onto its Board of Directors or uses him as a consultant or lobbyist. Hit them where it hurts; on the bottom line. And for God's sake, if he writes a book, ignore it.

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