RSS 2.0
Petraeus Ready for All Types of Insurgency
Gen. Petraeus is showing his expertise in fighting a counter-insurgency in Iraq. At his direction, we are killing, capturing and disrupting the terrorists who are out to destabilize this fledgling democracy.
Turns out Gen. Petraeus is showing himself to be a master of media and political insurgencies as well. Courtesy The Tank, here are the thoughts of Lt. Col. Patrick at Duty in the Desert:
In the less than 7 months since his 81-0 confirmation in the Senate, General Petraeus has watched his ’supporters’ continuously bait him into a sense of failure. Withdrawal. Give up. Give in. The war is lost. Defeat. Agendas by the media and defeatists have already called him and his credibility into question. All of these attacks are only appetizers to the main dish–the General’s September report on Iraq. There’s no convincing any of them of progress in Iraq. This update on the Iraq war is merely an ambush by naysayers. A trap.
I can’t think of a better person to approach this September media trap than General Petraeus. This sure-footed soldier coauthored the Army’s new Field Manual 3-24 on counter-insurgency (COIN) operations. This guy wrote the book on avoiding ambushes. He’s used to fighting enemies that run and hide from positive news. Media attempts to use guerrilla-style “polls” will be dealt with swiftly and with laser-guided precision from the top soldier actually on the ground in Iraq. “Low morale” reports will be countered with re-enlistment rates. Hidden agendas focused on our national elections in 2008 will be answered with an emphasis on our national security in 2007 and beyond.
I’ve sensed over the past month that General Petraeus is well aware of the trap being laid in Washington DC for his report. Lately he’s discussed “consequences” to a hasty withdrawal from Iraq and the Middle East.
I believe his report will be as straight-forward as all his interviews are. The report will show the ground truth in Iraq, the positive direction that country is on, but also that the journey is still early and more progess is necessary. The General with the Ph.D. in International Relations will describe to a very divided, partisan U.S. Congress that the Iraqi government is divided and partisan. But that progress is being made in Iraq and now is not the time to give up on our military or the mission. The consequences of leaving early are just too dangerous.