Petraeus: "I Don't Know" If My Iraq Policy Makes America Safer

The Huffington Post   |  Nico Pitney   |   September 11, 2007 03:41 PM


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Sen. John Warner (R-VA) questions Gen. David Petraeus:

WARNER: I hope in the recesses of your heart that you know that strategy will continue the casualties, stress on our forces, stress on military families, stress on all Americans. Are you able to say at this time, if we continue what you have laid before the Congress, this strategy, that if you continue, you are making America safer?

PETRAEUS: Sir, I believe that this is indeed the best course of action to achieve our objections in Iraq.

WARNER: Does that make America safer?

PETRAEUS: Sir, I don't know actually. I have not sat down and sorted out in my own mind. What I have focused on and been riveted on is how to accomplish the mission of the Multinational Force in Iraq.

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Do either of them make you feel safer?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:20 PM on 09/11/2007

Who still believes these liars, and this particular vested liar?
How many stars on his epaulets will it take to make this puppet an honest man?

The crooks rule.

The bushevites have to be purged.
They will not go quietly. It will take lots of blood and justice to retake America.

The Second American Revolution begins NOW!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:19 PM on 09/11/2007

You're a liar General. Not only do you KNOW it hasn't made us safer, you KNOW it's made us less safe.

How do you look in the mirror?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:33 PM on 09/11/2007

"And where will you go once your testimony before this august body is finished General?"

General Patreaus,"I'm going to Disney World."

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:37 PM on 09/11/2007

General Petraeus is a soldier following orders from his Ciommander-In-Chief! Strangely reminiscent of another General's situation/position in world history that may serve as a 'parable' of this sad and pathetic season in our American history,

That other Commander-In-Chief was King David of the Israelites and his General Uriah, husband of Bathsheba! The parable goes like this:
The Decider-In-Chief (David) saw a beautiful alluring OILFIELD (Bathsheba)in Iraq but someone else (Uriah)'owned' her......

OR another version like this....
The Decider-In-Chief, Commander of the Armies of his 'God'(BUSH),saw a beautiful alluring OILFIELD (Bathsheba-opportunity for his power and prestige to finally make a name for his'self)
and he sent his General (Petraeus) in to make up excuses why the Decider should invade and take over Bathsheba for his self...His General, being a good soldier, didn't mind when The Decider sent him into battle before the 'People of the Constitution' (Congress/Senate/Media/American People). The general was slain before the people because the message he brought from the Decider enraged the 'People of the Constitution' that a General would allow himself to be used by the 'King' to be yet one more dead soldier sent into battle by the Decider.
The morale of the parable:
Those who shred the 'Constitution' will be shredded by the People of the Constitution....
just a thought....

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:31 PM on 09/11/2007

he went to the same school of congressional comittee answering as the gonzo

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:31 PM on 09/11/2007

It is time for the Congressional leadership to make some demands and make some bold actions!
http://www.yisfunandeasy.com

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:02 PM on 09/11/2007


The general says, "He's hasn't sat down and thought about..." whether his mission is making America safer.
Well, when does he plan to START thinking about it dammit?! When this country and its military are destroyed?
What a piece of shit!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:53 PM on 09/11/2007

i don't know if there is a santa clause. i dont' know if there is an easter bunny. what i do know however, is that we are not safer. so does the rest of the nation. by the way what does he know?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:34 PM on 09/11/2007

Um ... General Petraeus, what exactly is "the mission of the Multinational Force in Iraq???"

No, seriously, WHAT IS IT?!?!?!?!?!?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:21 PM on 09/11/2007

I was going to write a lengthy diatribe, but I read somewhere in HuffPost - he was dubbed as General BetrayUS.

That pretty sums it all.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:11 PM on 09/11/2007

Have you had enough propaganda for today?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:05 PM on 09/11/2007

pet general is playing both sides of the street so someday he can cop out and clear his conscious.

sad sad day in america.

please note no one is interested in how many iraqis are dying since our illegal invasion.

warmongers all of us americans.

hang our heads in shame. total shame.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:01 PM on 09/11/2007

Biden at least made a show of lowering his head in shame on Chris Matthews's show.

but really we're also victims of the establishment, even the ones who serve it.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:10 PM on 09/11/2007

Patreus is out of Uniform.....

If u notice his screaming eagle Patch on his right shoulder; It should be pointed forward.

That patch is for his left shoulder....combat unit patches are in the forward position thats what u wear on the right shoulder.


If he can't be in proper uniform how can he expect it of his men

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:01 PM on 09/11/2007

Don't be too sure Huffpo didn't mirror the picture.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:35 PM on 09/11/2007

My God you people are so shortsighted you should change your mascot from the donkey. While the vast majority of you are still asses.

The new Dem mascot should be Mr. Magoo.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:56 PM on 09/11/2007

Brilliant rhetoric. Which conservative think tank do we admire for this gem.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:13 PM on 09/11/2007

The Repukes mascot shuold be the Jail Bird....

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:15 PM on 09/11/2007

Oh?

Well US Headqarters in Bagdad has just been heavily attacked. There's considerable casualties. The Iraqui government has collapsed.
And it wousl seem that Mr. Magoo is hidden in his "secured bunker".


What's your next bright remark?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:14 PM on 09/11/2007

.

Bang the gavel.........case for more war dismissed.

.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:50 PM on 09/11/2007

Couple of trillion dollars apparently does not even buy you safety.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:44 PM on 09/11/2007

Which is why he shouldn't be the public face to sell this war. If anyone should be talking overall strategy it's Admiral Fallon who commands all forces in the theater.

I do detect a bit of waffle in Petraeus because just yesterday he was the one highlighting AQI's importance. Now he's saying that he doesn't know if killing them there is making us safer here. So why stay?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:43 PM on 09/11/2007

Petraeus is in a difficult position when talking about AQI and "making us safer".

He knows that the Bushies have been lying their asses off about AQI, and he also knows that _global_ strategy is outside his bailiwick.

He did backpedal on his "I don't know" when asked about it again later, and kinda half-heartedly repeated the official line about "Iraq as central front".

I haven't seen all of the hearings, but it seems to me he's been pretty consistent about portraying AQI as "_a_ major problem" while resisting partisan efforts to make them "_the_ major problem". I think he's been a little wimpy about debunking the nonsense about Iraq becoming an Afghanistan-style "haven", though.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:09 PM on 09/11/2007

Actually guys, that is kind of a standard military response, is it not. In otherwords, as a military man, my job is to carry out policy not to formulate it. He answers to a higher authority, who answers to an even higher authority. This is how it goes, which is why we can't question it. Shrub heard it from Jesus, and Betray us heard it from Shrub. The policy is therefore sacrosanct. And to question the premise, whether it makes us safer. Well, folks if anybody knows heresy, it would be me, Giordano Bruno!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:38 PM on 09/11/2007

Pretty lame response, General. What is the purpose of it if it doesn't make us safer? Isn't that what our "defense" forces are all about? What have you thought of, General? When you concoct a plan, don't you have a purpose?
I've heard some strange stuff in my time, but a general arguing for a purposeless plan is up there with the strangest!
And we are supposed to take him seriously and consider him highly intelligent!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:30 PM on 09/11/2007

Well if General Petraeus doesn't know, then do any of you have a game plan that will guaranteed work? I didn't think so.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:23 PM on 09/11/2007

I think the good General better go back and talk to the WH, he forgot his talking points:
Remember this General, at all times when asked, Yes Saddam and 9-11 were connected:
Yes, we are making great progress:
Yes, we are staying
No, I cannot tell you when we will leave, your just going to have to trust THE COMMANDER GUY.
Yes, of course it will make us safer, otherwise the Iraqi's will carve out row boats and load up their home made bombs and sail over here and blow us all up!
This is the most important talking point and you cannot forget it:
BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID, and remember THE REPUBLICANS ARE THE ONLY PATRIOTS, THE ONLY ONES WITH MORAL VALUES AND THE ONLY ONES THAT CAN RUN THIS COUNTRY and PROTECT US.
Now, have you got all that, otherwise your going to join the dog pile of Generals who have forgotton their lines. Quick get him some kool-aid.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:20 PM on 09/11/2007

Now Republicans are freedom haters.

A safer America? 2/3's of our armed combat units are not combat ready, feel safer now?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:17 PM on 09/11/2007

Not a bad answer for a man whose focus must be on the objectives laid out by the Cry-Baby In Chief. It's Boo-Boo's responsibility to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and be the Commander In Chief-not this guy's. He can't think about things like that, because it gets in the way of obeying orders. And, we want him to continue to obey orders because we don't want a military coup. Civilian control of the military is a must, even if the Cry-Baby In Chief can't handle his job. We still have to deal with it. Now to action: Congress cut the cash off now. No money for anything other than bringing the troops home. Nothing else. Nada. Zip.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:03 PM on 09/11/2007

Gigi- I agree. Why the flap over a general's testimony about the effectiveness of a military stategy he developed to quell sectarian (I'd say insurgent but I'm not sure who that would be exactly)violence. It's like asking the offensive line coach if his players are effectively protecting the quarterback. It has little to do with anything if: your quarterback can't throw a spiral ten yards; your recievers can't catch the ball when it does get to them.

Translation: quarterback al Maliki; receivers Iraqi parliament.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:04 PM on 09/11/2007

Funny how the government has all kinds of money to throw down the sewer that is Iraq, but no money available for helping us pay for healthcare, education, or any other program to help us AMERICANS.

F them. Throw them ALL out when they come up for re-election. As for now, time to turn up the heat on the Ct. cowboy and his evil sidekick, Darth.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:58 PM on 09/11/2007
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