Posted on 09/15/2008 7:48:40 PM PDT by Schnucki
He is credited with taming the violence in Iraq, rewriting American counter-insurgency strategy and salvaging the reputation of the US military.
When General David Petraeus steps down today as the commander of US forces in Iraq however, he will have little time to savour the plaudits from fellow soldiers and the Bush Administration.
Instead the politically savvy paratrooper will swap the Iraqi frying pan for the Afghan fire. General Petraeus will take command of all US forces in the Middle East and Central Asia and with it the unenviable task of turning round the increasingly desperate fight faced by US and Nato forces in Afghanistan — a war that he conceded was “headed in the wrong direction”.
The general was hailed as “the hero of the hour” by the US Defence Secretary, Robert Gates, for appearing to have pulled Iraq back from the brink of civil war after he successfully oversaw a surge of 30,000 extra US troops into the country.
When General Petraeus took on his role almost 19 months ago Iraq was heading towards sectarian civil war. “The violence was horrific and the fabric of society was being torn apart,” he said.
The general developed an approach to counter-insurgency and was responsible for expanding combat outposts — platoon-sized bases in areas where insurgents previously had freedom of movement. He said: “You can't secure the people if you don't live with them.”
It remains to be seen if he can have the same impact in Afghanistan, where violence has increased since the Taleban were overthrown in 2001.
The outgoing Bush Administration and both US presidential candidates promised to send thousands of US reinforcements to the country, although the nature of the conflict was very different.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
American will be forever grateful for your skills and courage.
SUPERIOR ATTITUDE - SUPERIOR STATE OF MIND
LET'S ROLL!
Gen Petraus, we salute you. I feel better already.
“American will be forever grateful for your skills and courage.”
Man I wish that was true! We’d be in such better shape. But at least half of America will be grateful.
True, but the “better half” gets it, and he knows that.
Harry Reid will announce the war in Afghanistan is lost. Nancy Pelosi will demand all troops return home immediately and demand a hearing where she will grill the General endlessly and give him advice on how to lose faster. Moveon.org will call the General a traitor, yet again.
Michael Moore will release a film, depicting US troops as murderers in Afghanistan. Murtha will announce that the effort in Afghanistan is a waste of military resources.
Barack H. Obama will pick up 10% in the polls, by promising immediate withdrawal of troops from his favorite Muslim country, which will then be followed by his "sense of it" that perhaps a gradual withdrawal after conditions on the ground merit it is his real policy, which will then be followed by Obama admitting that the war in Afghanistan was won surpassing "our wildest dreams." He will then make a "visit to the troops" where he tries to secretly negotiate with the Afghan government to delay return of our troops until after the election so he can claim he "brought the troops home."
(sarcasm off)
It’s nice for once to see a general complete a successful combat command and then move to another rather than retiring and becoming a lobbyist.
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