Ex-Commander Zinni Opposes
Iraq Invasion
By Thomas E. Ricks The
Washington Post,
11 October 2002
The former U.S. military commander for the Middle East came out against
a U.S.-led invasion of Iraq yesterday, saying that he believes the
policy of containing President Saddam Hussein has been working.
Retired Marine Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, who preceded Army Gen. Tommy R.
Franks as head of Central Command, told a meeting at a Washington think
tank that the United States has other priorities in the Middle East.
"I'm not convinced we need to do this now," Zinni said at a meeting of
the Middle East Institute. "I believe he is . . . containable at this
moment." Zinni, who served in northern Iraq in 1991 as chief of staff
for the Kurdish relief operation that came after the Gulf War, added
that he thinks "war and violence are a very last resort and we have to
be very careful how we apply it, especially now, in our position in the
world."
Zinni has served over the past two years as an unpaid consultant to the
State Department on Israeli-Palestinian issues. He said he believes that
re-energizing Middle East peace talks is a higher priority than dealing
with Iraq. He added that several other issues also should take
precedence, such as encouraging reform in Iran and improving U.S.
relations with Arab states.
"I would take those priorities before" Iraq, Zinni said. "My personal
view is I think this isn't number one; it's maybe sixth or seventh."
His comments, made in Washington on the day the House voted to give
President Bush broad authority to use military force against Iraq, were
the most explicit Zinni has made about his opposition to any such
action. In August, he gave a talk in Tampa in which he warned that a
U.S. war against Iraq would needlessly create enemies.
Zinni's criticism of the administration's stance on Iraq is significant
not only because of his relationship with the State Department but also
because he is widely respected in the U.S. military. His concerns are
widely shared by many in the leadership of the military but aren't
universal, a retired three-star general said.
