Gen. Petraeus, A Bush Superstar, Faces A New Reality In Obama's White House

nytimes.com:

WASHINGTON Gen. David H. Petraeus, the face of the Iraq troop surge and a favorite of former President George W. Bush, spoke up or was called upon by President Obama "several times" during the big Afghanistan strategy session in the Situation Room last week, one participant says, and will be back for two more meetings this week.

Read the whole story: nytimes.com

Comments

[Nominy]

General betray-us needs to be removed from his post.

[Klimb]

A speedy recovery general Petreus.

[Mark Twaine]

This was a decent article until Lindsey Graham's name and quote popped up.

So why is it important that the General understands Congress ... the article was discussing selling the Afghanistan plan to the American people.

Also, Graham tries to give the impression that he is an expert with Generals by saying "I have never met a General who better understands .."

Graham is just name dropping. He's using General Petraeous to make himself look good ... he hopes.

[cliffhammond]

There's an excellent article on the Petraeus/McCrystal counterinsurgency warfare model in the Christian Science Monitor today, quoted by HP. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/05/mcchrystal-criticism-moun_n_309482.html

[ImissBush]

when is a surge
an
escalation

[Mark Twaine]

What's there to escalate? Surge what? This isn't Iraq! This is quick sand. This is a desert swamp!

[ImissBush]

knee deep in muddy water 7 the big fool says
push on

[BlueZoo]

I would much rather have General Petraeus in there than McCrystal! The fact that McCrystal was the point man for the coverup involving the death of Pat Tillman just galls me no end. I have been more than a little upset that President Obama appointed this man to his post, knowing the chicanery McCrystal was up to with Dick Cheney. The decisions to deceive the American public and particularly the Tillman family have caused untold grief. Several upper ranked officers were relieved of their command but not General McCrystal - the one most reponsible for the dozens of e-mails between himself and the White House on how to put Tillman's death into a good light just before the Presidential election. If he would stoop to this, he will stoop to anything! God knows what's really going on in Afghanistan!

[Mark Twaine]

If you are correct, this is bad, very bad. Did Bush and Cheney corrupt everything and everybody they touched??

[Ergon]

Some speculation he might run for president in 2012. Only generals that WIN wars, like U.S. Grant, and Eisenhower, actually succeed, General.

[jsgaetano]

But considering he's a failure, he'll fit right in at the GOP.

[Mark Twaine]

Well, no one has WON in Iraq and our troops are not HOME!

Maybe he can drive a jeep.

[ImissBush]

as long as the media considers him a success

[Ergon]

Since the media loves a war, any general will do.

[davidwayneosedach]

Tough times at Ridgemont High for Petraeous.

[Please-Play-Fair]

Folks, Petraeus was brought in to Iraq to help pull success out of what was a long and painful scenario. He did that. Now, he is likely taking more a back seat to McCrystal as Obama has chosen to engage with him as his military leader.

Don't make Petraeus out to be the bad guy. He's being the good soldier. If he speaks out too much, he's being disrespectful to Obama. If he is quiet in order to reduce the media trying to start an issue with him and Obama ... he's still called out.

He's a great American and has served his country proudly. He has been respectful to whomever is President ... so please don't let the media or far left/right wingers try to create controversy where it doesn't exist.

[cliffhammond]

I agree with you, except that Petraeus is further up the chain than McCrystal, both of whom are experts in the area of counterinsurgency warfare, which requires more troops. I never had the impression that Bush and Petraeus were particularly close. Petraeus, as a professional, was in a risky situation for a while, given that his counterinsurgency model was opposed to the conventionalism of Franks and Sanchez, Rumsfeld's cowboyed-up generals. When Rumsfeld was removed, the conventionalist Fallujah atrocities being the climax of his authoritarian strategy, his entire rodeo and all its clowns went with him, leaving Petraeus to prove his stuff. He did just that.

[Nominy]

he's a failure and so is this lie of a war we are involved in.

[BlueDog1]

It must be my age, Eisenhower, Nemitz, Ridgeway, Mc Arthur, Slim Jim Gavin, etc, etc, typicaly wore two rows maybe four rows of medals.

Petraeus looks like one those old Soviet Field Marshals with medals running up from there belt over the top of there shoulders.

[Tovarish-Ivan]

Well, maybe Tovarish David H. Petraeusis a comm*unist. Huh?!

[beartrack]

I'm probably as old as you are and that's just a silly statement. The "new" Army creates things to give metals for. It's called eyewash. Means nothing.

[harriettubman]

Defoliate Afghanistan, keep a peace force there but bring everybody else home. No more troops. This region is unwinnable. They've been in a civil war for 30 yrs. Haven't these people listened to a thing Gen. Colin Powell has said? You break it, it's yours.

[christopherflynn]

why don't we defoliate your garden at home...what kind of nonsense are you promoting?

[Ergon]

Yeah, let's apply Agent Orange while our troops are still there. Oh wait, we did that in Vietnam.

[Mark Twaine]

Better yet, let's make a reservation in Oklahoma for the Afghans. The worst land in Oklahoma has to be better than the best in Afghanistan. The Taliban can rule as they please since it will be a reservation and the U.S. can have the Afghanistan country all to itself without killing innocent civilians.

I suggest we fly them to North Carolina and march them across the continent like we did the Cherokee.

[Nominy]

they would easily be smarter, more educated population than the one that currently resides in the south, yet they are both tools of religion. How about we send all the conservative Christians over to Afghanistan and they can remake it in to Jesustand.

[jamiso]

The article is misleading and the premise is stupid.

[Mark Twaine]

Yes. Why was Lindsey Graham's name inserted at the end? This is WAR not a dog and pony show!

[Macready]

some superstar . . . failed general more like

[Please-Play-Fair]

Failed? I don't think so. You just despise him because Bush appointed him. He's a true American and a great asset to this country.

[Hollywooddeed]

You could ask my son about that, but he's not coming home.

[NCAV2]

Thank goodness. "MOAR TROOPZ!" is not always a good tactic.

[Mark Twaine]

funny, love it!