Marine General Explains Why He Declined White House Offer As "War Czar"

Retired Marine Corps General John Sheehan penned an important op-ed piece in today's Washington Post detailing why he turned down an invitation to become the White House "implementation manager" for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. (Others reportedly have also turned down the White House.) See Why I Declined To Serve.

Sheehan's piece represents a good, objective critique of both administration policy and execution. "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."

"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."

Here's the bottom line: "It would have been a great honor to serve this nation again. But after thoughtful discusssions with people both in and outside this administration, I concluded that the current Washington decision-making process lacks a linkage to a broader view of the region [i.e., the Mideast] and how the parts fit together strategically. . . . 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."