General: Abu Ghraib scandal forced me into retirement

Former Iraq commander Lt Gen Ricardo Sanchez said today he had been forced to retire from the US Army over the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal.

Sanchez, who served in Iraq as 5th Corps commander from 2003-4, told Texas newspaper The (McAllen) Monitor: “That’s the key reason, the sole reason, that I was forced to retire. I was essentially not offered another position in either a three-star or four-star command.”

Sanchez, who has served in the military for 33 years, had been a candidate to become the next commander of US Southern Command but was passed over after the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal exploded into an international controversy.

Sanchez has not been accused of any misconduct but has been criticised by some for not doing more to avoid mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners.

Sanchez, 55, retired yesterday in a formal ceremony at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.

He told the newspaper he expected to stay in the San Antonio area and would try “to contribute to the Hispanic community, developing young Hispanic leaders”.