Gen. Anthony Zinni Sorts Out America’s “Credibility Problem”

Gen. Anthony Zinni. Staff photo D. Hanley

Gen. Anthony Zinni gave his views on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the broader Middle East, and President Barack Obama’s approach to foreign policy at the New America Foundation in Washington, DC on Sept. 1. The former commander in chief of U.S. Central Command, Zinni has been on tour discussing his new book, Leading the Charge: Leadership Lessons from the Battlefield to the Boardroom.

As he travels the world, Zinni said, he speaks to leaders who are worried that the United States cannot manage things any more. “There is sincere concern,” he noted. Americans used to be trusted to get it right, but as a result of what transpired after the 9/11 attacks, he explained, there is now a real credibility problem.

One suggestion Zinni made was for the Obama administration to do what it is actually legally required to do under the Goldwater-Nichols Act and issue a “national security strategy.” The general pointed out that administrations are required to release such a report within 150 days of taking office, and the Obama administration has not done this.

President Bill Clinton’s strategy was “engagement,” and “pre-emption” became the theme under President George W. Bush. Obama has changed the tone with his “smart power” strategy, which calls for using civilian, military and economic tools.

Throwing money and people at problems is not the answer, however, General Zinni warned. He called for a major restructuring of the Department of State and United States Agency for International Development (USAID). “The military has a culture of planning,” Zinni explained. “We create a set of plans, rehearse, practice, modify and review. We went to Baghdad, took down the Republican Guards, and then what? What were we supposed to accomplish after that? It scared the hell out me. There was no plan. The military plans the military piece, but no one plans past it.”

Zinni argued that the civil affairs section of the military should be pulled out of the military structure as it is today and set up as its own command—and used to structure nation building and other activities in a collaborative way with other institutions of government. “Give it to the poor guys and girls who will get stuck with it anyway” once there is instability in the field, he advised.

Zinni supports Washington’s deepening commitment to Afghanistan and the war there. The U.S. cannot abandon Afghanistan, he argued, and needs to commit more resources. He added it was time for NATO to do some heavy lifting and share the burden.

The general admitted that Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires, but he said that is because everyone wanted to stay. “The difference is we don’t want to stay—we want to work ourselves out of a job there,” he said. “We want to leave it stable and not a sanctuary for terror, with the government, schools, hospitals working and electricity, sewage, and garbage pickup.”

Zinni was sharply critical of the use of envoys for tough, long-term foreign policy problems. Describing his envoy experience in Israel/Palestine, he offered serious suggestions on how to reshape the Israel/Palestine peace process. According to Zinni, there are 10 final status issues which can’t be resolved on a quick trip or at a summit. “You can paper the wall with all the agreements...we don’t need another plan. Take one, like the Tenet plan and implement it....There should be a Quintet, not a Quartet,” he added, with the Arab League included to help implement the agreement.

Security forces, Israeli and Arab, know what it takes to make peace, Zinni continued. They will figure it out. They’ve been in each others’ prisons, they kiss each other when they greet. “Get the political guys out of the room and they could get something done,” he said. Don’t get into the debate about who is right and who is responsible for the problems. Think of the kids. “The parties who have a stake in it must develop a plan, not us.”

When asked what he’d do if Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered him an ambassadorship and “this time it was for real,” he laughed. He said he’d felt like Charlie Brown getting ready to kick the football that Lucy was holding, and then she pulled it back. He doesn’t want to go through that again, Zinni said.

—Delinda C. Hanley