“Keane and Fred Kagan, a military historian, had met with President Bush to recommend that the U.S. adapt a new strategy and recommended Petraeus to lead the effort.
The essence of the strategy was to do what it took to protect civilians.
Some positive trends already were evident in Iraq when Petraeus arrived to command coalition forces in early 2007.”
Updated April 2011 From:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2011-04-28-Gen-David-Petraeus-military-CIA_n.htm
“In his opening statement in his Senate confirmation hearing, Petraeus vowed to “look very hard” at the directives Gen. Stanley McChrystal put in place to cut down on civilian casualties. McChrystal was following counterinsurgency principles that Petraeus, in large part, pioneered and championed within the U.S. military, principles that led McChrystal to say that the attitudes of the Afghan people will be “strategically decisive” in the war.”
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/06/petraeus-ill-change-the-rules-of-war-in-afghanistan/
10-4, thanks. I guess that the left set him up to be the darling of the right with Hitlery’s willing disbelief comment. What really started to smell was when he demoted himself to take over McStanley’s post.
Warning sign #1 and #2 came shortly after when the ROE was further restricted when he took over operations in theatre.
Then #3 when they ushered Gates out of the Pentagon to be replaced by Panetta and then for Petreaus named Director of an agency he had no real direct contract with beforehand.
I still say the ROE was not his idea, but as a willing pawn took credit for it to keep the heat off his superiors who were already under fire for it.