U.S. general damns Iraq “nightmare”

A former U.S. military chief has described the Iraq conflict as "a nightmare with no end in sight". Retired Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the former top military commander in Iraq, on Friday delivered a blistering critique of U.S. involvement in the Iraq conflict, calling American political leaders "incompetent." U.S. general damns Iraq “nightmare” Addressing an audience of journalists who cover the military, Sanchez said the armed force's mission to invade Iraq and overthrow Saddam Hussein was flawed from the start. He said they would have faced courts martial for dereliction of duty had they been in the military. The best the U.S. could manage under the current approach in Iraq was to "stave off defeat", Gen Sanchez warned. "There is no question that America is living a nightmare with no end in sight," he said, addressing journalists at Arlington, near Washington. A catalogue of political misjudgments had paved the way for the insurgency after the fall of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, according to Gen Sanchez. He blamed the U.S. disbanding of the Iraqi military as well as the failure to set up swiftly civilian government and cement ties with tribal leaders. The White House this year injected an extra 30,000 U.S. troops into Iraq in the hope of stemming sectarian violence and sowing some political stability. But Gen Sanchez branded this so-called "surge" strategy a "desperate attempt" to make up for years of shortcomings. "The best we can do with this flawed approach is stave off defeat," he warned. The White House responded by pointing to the report by current commander Gen David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, who said the situation was difficult but marked by gradual improvements. White House spokesman Trey Bohn said: "We appreciate his (Gen Sanchez's) service to the country... As General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker have said, there is more work to be done, but progress is being made in Iraq." Gen Sanchez was commander of coalition forces in Iraq for a year from mid-2003. He retired last year in the aftermath of the scandal over detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad. He was cleared of any wrongdoing.

U.S. general damns Iraq “nightmare”

Addressing an audience of journalists who cover the military, Sanchez said the armed force's mission to invade Iraq and overthrow Saddam Hussein was flawed from the start.

He said they would have faced courts martial for dereliction of duty had they been in the military.

The best the U.S. could manage under the current approach in Iraq was to "stave off defeat", Gen Sanchez warned.

"There is no question that America is living a nightmare with no end in sight," he said, addressing journalists at Arlington, near Washington.

A catalogue of political misjudgments had paved the way for the insurgency after the fall of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, according to Gen Sanchez.

He blamed the U.S. disbanding of the Iraqi military as well as the failure to set up swiftly civilian government and cement ties with tribal leaders.

The White House this year injected an extra 30,000 U.S. troops into Iraq in the hope of stemming sectarian violence and sowing some political stability.

But Gen Sanchez branded this so-called "surge" strategy a "desperate attempt" to make up for years of shortcomings.

"The best we can do with this flawed approach is stave off defeat," he warned.

The White House responded by pointing to the report by current commander Gen David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, who said the situation was difficult but marked by gradual improvements.

White House spokesman Trey Bohn said: "We appreciate his (Gen Sanchez's) service to the country... As General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker have said, there is more work to be done, but progress is being made in Iraq."

Gen Sanchez was commander of coalition forces in Iraq for a year from mid-2003.

He retired last year in the aftermath of the scandal over detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad. He was cleared of any wrongdoing.