SAN ANTONIO, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, former commander of U.S. ground forces in Iraq, retired from the Army on Wednesday, saying the military alone cannot secure a victory in Iraq.

"We have been saying since 2003 that we could fight there for years, if we continue to apply only the element of (military) power," Sanchez told reporters. "We can continue to kill people there for a decade and until you can sort out the political and economic issues in that country, we will continue to have an issue there."

The war in Iraq has come to the forefront of next week's U.S. congressional elections as Democrats try to wrest control of Congress from Republicans.

"Partisan politics have hindered this war effort and America should not accept this," Sanchez said. "The security of America is definitely at stake."

Sanchez, a native of Rio Grande City, Texas, commanded coalition forces in Iraq from June 2003 until July 2004. Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison were abused during his tenure but an Army investigation exonerated Sanchez of wrongdoing.

Sanchez did not mention President George W. Bush or Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld by name in criticizing U.S. political leaders.

"I'm a soldier and we have civilian control of the military," he said.

When pressed by reporters to answer who was at fault for the failures in Iraq, Sanchez said, "Where do the policies come from?"

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