Real Heroes

I read with disgust that the Pentagon plans to promote Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, former head of military operations in Iraq.
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are both defending a failure of a commander and are bringing further ignominy on themselves.
On top of that it has been revealed that top Pentagon strategists do not have a specific four-star job in mind for Sanchez. It looks like they are just going to hand him a star.
Among his duties in Iraq, Sanchez oversaw all detention facilities, including Abu Ghraib prison. During his time in Iraq our soldiers were put at risk and field commanders were subjugated to political puppets for the aggrandizement of the Secretary of Defense.
Mr. Rumsfeld displayed his eagerness to kowtow to Florida Cubans and millions of illegal aliens in the United States by making Sanchez his choice to take over the U.S. Southern Command, a post that would have elevated the three-star general to four stars.
Thank God the Senate Armed Services Committee members challenged Sanchez's role in overseeing the war and the Abu Ghraib prison affair.
That was the right thing to do.
"Sanchez was born in the equivalent of a log cabin — no running water, a self-made man," said Charles Krohn, who retired last year as an aide to former Army Secretary Thomas E. White. "Anything perceived as an Anglo plot to hold Sanchez responsible for the sins of others would be looked upon with great disfavor."
What a racist and ignorant set of remarks to make. ‘Equivalent’ of a log cabin? Who is Charles Krohn trying to kid? From Sanchez’s behavior he was born into a equivalent of a violent and lawless slum like those that dot Los Angeles, El Paso, New York and Miami.
Sanchez should face scrutiny for his oversight of Abu Ghraib and his supervision of the war during a time when the Iraqi insurgency raged out of control and has needlessly embarrassed the United States, our Army and killed over a thousand of troops while wounding and maiming thousands of others.
Former Defense Secretary James R. Schlesinger found that Sanchez was "responsible" for creating an environment that contributed to the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, but not directly "culpable." That’s enough for me. A bank clerk responsible for a bank robbery though not culpable would be fired.
A sheriff’s deputy that was responsible for a rape while he was on duty but was not culpable would lose his badge.
Why is Sanchez being given a free ride? He wears his race like armor which is more armor than our soldiers have been given in this misguided and foolish war in Iraq. When did the arbitrary label of ‘Latino’ become a license for incompetence?
Just today – October, 15, 2004, a 17-member Army Reserve platoon with troops from Jackson, Miss., and around the Southeast deployed to Iraq is under arrest for refusing a suicide mission to deliver fuel, the troops relatives said Thursday.
The soldiers refused an order on Wednesday to go to Taji, Iraq north of Baghdad because their vehicles were considered deadlined or extremely unsafe, said Patricia McCook of Jackson, wife of Sgt. Larry O. McCook.
They are the real heroes of Iraq. These are the real leaders of the Army. Each one of the 17 members of that platoon is more worth of 4 stars than is the incompetent and pandering General Sanchez.
Where is the justice in this land of ours?
How much longer will you allow the Executive Branch to hold America under the gun?