Republicans attack Sanchez for speaking truthfully about Iraq

October 15, 2007

Washington - Republicans are upset that the former coalition commander in Iraq, Lt. General Ricardo Sanchez, has spoken out against the Iraq war and that he said the Bush administration's bad decisions have cost American lives with their "lust for power."

Sanchez ripped the Bush administration for "incompetent strategic leadership" and said that the United States is "living a nightmare with no end in sight."

Sanchez told reporters that American political leaders have cost American lives on the battlefield with their "lust for power."

Senator Lindsey Graham told CNN's Wolf Blitzer "Every time we talked to General Sanchez, we got pushback - we have enough troops, Guard and reserves aren't being strained," adding the war "got out of control under his watch."

But Graham and Sen. John McCain, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Sanchez failed to raise those concerns while in uniform.

McCain rips Sanchez too

One day following Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez's denigration of the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war, Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, responded with deference for the former General and conviction for the current Iraq strategy.

"I have great respect and appreciation for Gen. Sanchez's service to his country and the military. I am very grateful for it," McCain said.

"The fact is I had face to face discussions with Gen. Sanchez when he was in Baghdad about how I believed that the strategy was failing, and he testified before the Senate armed services committee that the strategy was succeeding - the flawed Donald Rumsfeld strategy that I knew was doomed to failure."

"When I argued for the strategy that we're using now, he did not agree with that."

McCain repeated his respect and appreciation for the Gen. Sanchez despite differing views on Iraq strategy.

"I think the record shows that one, while he was in charge he was supporting of a failed strategy and number two, is that he did not support, at that time, the strategy that I believe is succeeding."

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