A Crisis of Confidence

General Jack Sheehan explains today on the Op-Ed page of the Washington Post precisely why he refused the billet of White House implementation manager for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He lays it out well. (And confirms what we pretty much knew all along.)

…What I found in discussions with current and former members of this administration is that there is no agreed-upon strategic view of the Iraq problem or the region.

…The United States has and will continue to have strategic interests in the greater Middle East well after the Iraq crisis is resolved and, as a matter of national interest, will maintain forces in the region in some form. The Iraq invasion has created a real and existential crisis for nearly all Middle Eastern countries and created divisions among our traditional European allies, making cooperation on other issues more difficult. In the case of Iran, we have allowed Tehran to develop more policy options and tools than it had a few years ago. Iran is an ideological and destabilizing threat to its neighbors and, more important, to U.S. interests.

…Activities such as the current surge operations should fit into an overall strategic framework. There has to be linkage between short-term operations and strategic objectives that represent long-term U.S. and regional interests, such as assured access to energy resources and support for stable, Western-oriented countries. These interests will require a serious dialogue and partnership with countries that live in an increasingly dangerous neighborhood. We cannot "shorthand" this issue with concepts such as the "democratization of the region" or the constant refrain by a small but powerful group that we are going to "win," even as "victory" is not defined or is frequently redefined..

…It would have been a great honor to serve this nation again. But after thoughtful discussions with people both in and outside of this administration, I concluded that the current Washington decision-making process lacks a linkage to a broader view of the region and how the parts fit together strategically. We got it right during the early days of Afghanistan -- and then lost focus. We have never gotten it right in Iraq. For these reasons, I asked not to be considered for this important White House position. These huge shortcomings are not going to be resolved by the assignment of an additional individual to the White House staff. They need to be addressed before an implementation manager is brought on board.

General Sheehan is the latest in a series of retired General Officers who have spoken out against the Bush administration and the policy – or lack thereof – with regard to Iraq.

Will it embolden the Democrats on the funding issue? What will the morning bring? Dana Perino is about to have a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day...