The Iraq War Trial

Former long-time anchor for CBS Evening News Walter Cronkite would testify that: "The Bush administration has attempted to forestall ending the war by putting in more troops, but more troops will not solve the problem. We have lost the hearts and minds of most of the Iraqi people, and victory no longer seems to be even a remote possibility. It is time to end our occupation of Iraq, and bring our troops home."

Republican Senator Chuck Hagel would testify that: "This is one of the most arrogant, incompetent administrations I’ve ever seen personally or ever read about. I would rate this one the lowest in capacity, in capability, in policy, in consensus – almost every area, I would give it the lowest grade."

General Anthony Zinni, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired), would testify that: "Iraq was the wrong war at the wrong time - with the wrong strategy," and that "In the lead up to the Iraq war and its later conduct, I saw at a minimum, true dereliction, negligence and irresponsibility, at worse, lying, incompetence and corruption."

General John Johns, U.S. Army (Retired), would testify that the Iraq War was "one of the great blunders of history."

General Barry R. McCaffrey, U.S. Army (Retired), would testify that the U.S. was engaged in "a fool’s errand," that "our allies are leaving us," and that "The U.S. Army is rapidly unraveling."

General Joseph P. Hoar, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired), would testify that: "This administration’s handling of the war has been characterized by deceit, mismanagement and a shocking failure to understand the social and political forces that influence events in the Middle East." Moreover, that the surge was "too little and too late," and that "the solution is political, not military."

Lt. General William E. Odom, U.S. Army (Retired), would testify that the Iraq War was "the worst strategic mistake in the history of the United States" and that "the principle beneficiary of the war was Iran and al Qaeda, not the United States."

Lt. General Ricardo S. Sanchez, U.S. Army (Retired), would testify that the "consequences of the administration's failure to devise a strategy for victory in Iraq that employed, in a coordinated manner, the political, economic, diplomatic and military power of the United States. That failure continues today. At its base is the mistaken belief, despite years of evidence to the contrary, that victory can be achieved through the application of military power alone. Although we cannot withdraw precipitously from Iraq, we must move rapidly to minimize our force presence. Shifting the primary mission of our troops away from combat will lead to a smaller U.S. military presence, and a greater obligation on the part of the Iraqis to take the lead in solving their country's problems."

Lt. General Greg Newbold, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired), would testify that Iraq was an "unnecessary war," and that "The cost of flawed leadership continues to be paid in blood. The willingness of our forces to shoulder such a load should make it a sacred obligation for civilian and military leaders to get our defense policy right. They must be absolutely sure that the commitment is for a cause as honorable as the sacrifice."

Lt. General Robert Gard, U.S. Army (Retired), would testify that: "When you feel the country–to its extreme detriment–is going in the wrong direction, and that your views might have some impact, you have a duty to speak out. Patriotism means more than following orders."

Major General Paul Eton, U.S. Army (Retired), would testify that: "Congress must assert itself. Too much power has shifted to the executive branch, not just in terms of waging war but also in planning the military of the future. Congress should remember it still has the power of the purse; it should call our generals, colonels, captains and sergeants to testify frequently, so that their opinions and needs are known to the men they lead. Then when they are asked if they have enough troops — and no soldier has ever had enough of anything, more is always better — the reply is public."

Major General John Batiste, U.S. Army (Retired), would testify that: "Besides the fact that many conservatives allowed President Bush to jump head-first into a war of choice, the bullheadedness of Congressional Republicans who argue for staying the course runs contrary to conservative values. Many politicians of my party continue to argue that we must liberally use up whatever our military has left. Bottom line, the Republican Congress of the last six years abrogated its Constitutional duty and share in the responsibility for the debacle in Iraq." He would also testify that Bush continues "to pursue a failed strategy that is breaking our great Army and Marine Corps" and that Bush has "placed our nation in peril. Our only hope is that Congress will act now to protect our fighting men and women."

Major General Charles Swannack, Jr., U.S. Army (Retired), would testify that "the United States is losing strategically in Iraq."

Specialist Buddhika Jayamaha, U.S. Army, Sergeant Wesley D. Smith, U.S. Army, Sergeant Jeremy Roebuck, U.S. Army, Sergeant Edward Sandmeier, U.S. Army, and Staff Sergeant Jeremy A. Murphy, U.S. Army, would testify that: "The claim that we are increasingly in control of the battlefields in Iraq is an assessment arrived at through a flawed, American-centered framework. Yes, we are militarily superior, but our successes are offset by failures elsewhere. In a lawless environment where men with guns rule the streets, engaging in the banalities of life has become a death-defying act. Four years into our occupation, we have failed on every promise, while we have substituted Baath Party tyranny with a tyranny of Islamist, militia and criminal violence. When the primary preoccupation of average Iraqis is when and how they are likely to be killed, we can hardly feel smug as we hand out care packages. As an Iraqi man told us a few days ago with deep resignation, ‘We need security, not free food.’ In the end, we need to recognize that our presence may have released Iraqis from the grip of a tyrant, but that it has also robbed them of their self-respect. They will soon realize that the best way to regain dignity is to call us what we are — an army of occupation — and force our withdrawal. Until that happens, it would be prudent for us to increasingly let Iraqis take center stage in all matters, to come up with a nuanced policy in which we assist them from the margins but let them resolve their differences as they see fit. This suggestion is not meant to be defeatist, but rather to highlight our pursuit of incompatible policies to absurd ends without recognizing the incongruities." Finally, these witnesses would testify that Staff Sergeant Yance T. Gray, U.S. Army, and Sergeant Omar Mora, U.S. Army, would have joined them in their testimony had they not died in Iraq.

This short list of witnesses was quickly prepared. Hearings on the lawfulness of the Iraq occupation and its continued funding could undoubtedly extend for weeks, as there is no shortage of witnesses.

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