Former Centcom Commander Calls On Bushies To Resign:
Ex-Centcom Chief Zinni Blasts Pentagon for War Woes
Sun May 23, 9:24 PM ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Retired Marine General Anthony Zinni, former chief of U.S. Central Command, accused senior Pentagon (news - web sites) officials of failure in executing the Iraq (news - web sites) war and told CBS' "60 Minutes" on Sunday they should resign.
"Somebody has screwed up. And at this level and at this stage, it should be evident to everybody that they've screwed up. And whose heads are rolling on this? That's what bothers me most," Zinni said without naming names.
Zinni, commander-in-chief of the U.S. Central Command from 1997 to 2000, said planning for the Iraq war and its aftermath had been flawed from the start.
Zinni's scathing critique of the Pentagon and its handling of the war in Iraq are included in a new book about his career, co-written by Tom Clancy, called "Battle Ready," CBS reported.
Zinni told "60 Minutes": "I think there was dereliction in insufficient forces being put on the ground and (in not) fully understanding the military dimensions of the plan."
"If you're the secretary of defense and you're responsible for that. If you're responsible for that planning and that execution on the ground.
"If you've assumed responsibility for the other elements, non-military, non-security, political, economic, social and everything else, then you bear responsibility," Zinni said. Zinni did not refer to the current secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeld, by name.
Before his retirement in 2000, Zinni drew up invasion plans that called for deploying 300,000 troops, more than double the roughly 140,000 now in Iraq.
"Certainly those in your ranks that foisted this strategy on us that is flawed. Certainly they ought to be gone and replaced," he added.
"If I were the commander of a military organization that delivered this kind of performance to the president, I certainly would tender my resignation. I certainly would expect to be gone," Zinni said.
The four-star Marine general broke ranks with the Bush administration over the war and has since expressed concern about the security situation in Iraq and about what he said was a lack of planning for the postwar era.
Zinni told "60 Minutes" it was time to change course in Iraq. "The course is headed over Niagara Falls. I think it's time to change course a little bit or at least hold somebody responsible for putting you on this course. Because it's been a failure," he said.
He said the United States is now viewed in the region not as an entity that is promising positive Democratic change but as "the modern crusaders, as the modern colonial power in this part of the world."
"60 Minutes" said Rumsfeld and his deputy, Paul Wolfowitz had declined a request to respond to Zinni's remarks. |
