Troops in Europe, Mideast speak out on Sanchez’s criticisms

Stars and Stripes

Troops in Europe and Iraq sounded off Monday on retired Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez’s recent blunt comments criticizing the handling of the Iraq war and the media’s portrayal of it.

Some troops took strong issue with Sanchez’s comments.

“Does [Sanchez] sleep better at night knowing because he’s no longer a sworn soldier he can just vent, with the possibility that troops here and all over the world can pay for it?” Sgt. Brandon Culpepper, serving in Taji, Iraq, wrote in a letter to Stars and Stripes. “If he was able to bite his tongue during his career, why doesn’t he do the rest of us still serving in Iraq a huge favor: bite harder!”

Others were in agreement with Sanchez that there is no end in sight in Iraq.

“I agree with the ‘no end in sight’ statement because of statements published by the Bush administration in a document called National Strategy for Victory in Iraq,” said Lt. Cmdr. Les Engle, a 16-year Navy veteran, currently the assistant transition officer for Navy Region Europe’s Strategy and Future Requirements, in Naples, Italy.

Engle cited the following passage from the White House document, published two years ago: “Iraq is peaceful, united, stable, and secure, well integrated into the international community, and a full partner in the global war on terrorism,” reads the portion under a longer-term goal.

“Now, two years later, we are farther away from this definition of victory than ever before, and we continue to move away at an accelerating pace,” said Engle, 39.

Officials aboard the USS Kearsage, in the Persian Gulf, declined requests to interview Marines and sailors on the ship, saying the topic was “political” and unrelated to their mission.

Similarly, officials and soldiers in Afghanistan declined to comment and denied interview requests on the Sanchez situation, saying it was not germane to the fight in Afghanistan..........