John Yarmuth: “last week Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, who led our forces in Iraq when the vast majority of the American public…”

“last week Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, who led our forces in Iraq when the vast majority of the American public had yet to turn against the war, emphatically agreed with those of us who criticized the invasion and occupation from the start. In calling the situation a ``nightmare,'' Lieutenant General Sanchez referred to the ``unfortunate display of incompetent strategic leadership.'' But from what I have seen from my seat on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, with all due respect to the Lieutenant General, he is wrong. The administration isn't failing to implement the strategic leadership needed to bring peace to the region and protect our young men and women risking their lives in Iraq; they are refusing. David Walker, U.S. Comptroller General, said that widespread corruption is robbing Iraq of the resources to develop the government and is funding the very insurgency we are fighting. Rather than working to end or mend this catastrophe, the State Department has instructed its officials not to cooperate.”