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A Chat with General David Petraeus
By John
The following is an OPFOR exclusive. Our friend Richard S. Lowry, currently working on a historical account of the surge, sat down for an extensive phone interview with General Petraeus last Thursday. Richard transcribed the conversation into the post below, to be -with General Petreaus' permission- reposted here at OPFOR.
This is an absolute fascinating look into the fight to win Iraq, told by a master storyteller. Enjoy.
March 29, 2007
There has been a dramatic change in America’s strategy in Iraq. The new priority has become security of the people of Baghdad. America’s fortress mentality is gone and there is a whole new feeling of partnership in the Multi-National Force-Iraq.
While the situation in Iraq remains dire, we have finally adopted a strategy that has a chance of returning sanity to the people of Baghdad. It is still too early to determine if Fardh al-Qanoon (enforcing the law) will work. All the odds are against General David Petraeus, but if anyone can bring peace and stability to Iraq, it is he.
General David Petraeus
We are involved in a worldwide conflict and the front lines are in Iraq. We are involved in a conflict our military was not prepared to fight in 2003. We are involved in a modern-day counterinsurgent war – a netwar. General Petraeus knows the seriousness of this assault on the free world and he knows how to win against these 21st Century insurgents. Before taking command of the Multi-National Force, he was the Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division; the commander of the Multi-National Security Transition command where he helped build the new Iraqi Army; and most recently the commanding general at the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, where he oversaw the revamping of the Counterinsurgency Field Manual FM3-24.
Last Thursday, I had the privilege of speaking with him on the telephone. We started by talking about the Iraqi people. The General spent several minutes talking of the sheer horror Iraqis have suffered most of their lives. They have lived through the Iran-Iraq war, Desert Storm, a decade of sanctions and the Invasion of 2003. Then, instead of freedom, they have suffered through the chaos of the last several years.
He said, that they have endured “serious, brutal, horrific, barbaric terrorism carried out by Al-Qaeda” only to be followed by senseless sectarian violence. The general went on to say that the, “various sectarian militia, shia militia, got way out of control. [They] hijacked governmental ministries and certain security force elements…particular[ly] in the wake of the violence following the Askari Mosque bombing in late Feb of 2006.” The bombing stoked sectarian violence on both sides. General Petraeus voiced empathy for the people. He said, “They have endured a lot. They are a resilient people; it’s a nation of survivors. It’s a nation of people that in many respects have endured enormous oppression.” The combination of oppression and sectarian violence has taken a toll on the Iraqi society.
Petraeus continued. “With a lot of those that had an option overseas leaving, Iraq has suffered a brain drain of varying proportions. A lot of the Technocrats just couldn’t hang in there.” With the people who administered Iraq on a day-to-day basis no longer sitting behind the desks in government, “You have people governing who, by in large, have had little experience in running large organizations [or] strategic level institutions.”
“There are just an awful lot of challenges.” Petraeus said.
GOOD NEWS
Petraeus continued with his assessment. “You have to then say that every place in the country is different and that there are certainly nine provinces in the south that are relatively calm. Certainly there are challenges in various places at various times but they are ones that the Iraqis generally can solve if they have too. And, then of course there are the three Kurdish provinces that are very calm [and are] relatively progressive in the sense of free market economics within a still somewhat central governmentally run economy, but there is a lot of private investment.”
I interrupted with the comment that there seemed to be a large number of disparate groups all competing for their own piece of the pie. General Petraeus agreed. “It’s a big competition right now among a variety of groups; and, again in an environment, in Baghdad in particular, [that is] very heavily colored by an influence of the sectarian violence.” Neighborhoods have been depopulated and General Petraeus believes that “hundreds of thousands, maybe millions” of Iraqis have been displaced.
“Most damaging of all,” General Petraeus contends that the situation “has reinforced suspicions or created suspicions where there weren’t any between Sunni and Shia in a country in which there is a fair amount intermarriage between the sects in the past and where sectarian violence was not a huge issue, perhaps partly because Saddam ruled with an iron hand and put down the Shia all the time.”
I moved on to ask him about the current plan to secure Baghdad and he proudly pointed out that the “Clear and Hold” strategy has already been used with good effect in Mosul in 2004 and Tal’Afar in 2005. What General Petraeus modestly forgot to mention was that it was he who adopted the counterinsurgent strategy in Mosul when he was commanding the 101st Airborne and Colonel H.R. McMaster who architected the Tal’Afar success. (Colonel McMaster is now a trusted advisor to General Petraeus.) The general was quick to point out that “If you’re going to secure the population, if that’s job one, then you have to live with the population you are going to secure.”
He then reflected on the past strategy. “For a variety of reasons, some pretty good reasons, we were gradually consolidating in larger bases and handing off to the Iraqis. The transition to Iraqi Security Forces, Iraqi control and local control was emphasized heavily. That was sort of moving along reasonably well until it was really undone by the bombing of that mosque and the resulting sectarian violence.
Al Qaeda in Iraq had been dealt a crushing defeat in the second battle of Fallujah. Without a dramatic event to ignite sectarian violence, the insurgency could have failed. Abu Musab al-Sargawi and his henchmen plotted an attack so heinous that every Shia in Iraq would be rallied to violence against the Sunni minority who had dominated the country for generations. The bombing ignited sectarian violence and derailed American plans for transition to Iraqi control.
THE WILD WEST
Then there is Al Anbar province, an area which not long ago a Marine Colonel described as a cross between the Wild West and Mad Max. But, now the people of Anbar Province have finally had enough of Al-Qaeda and the violence and chaos they have brought to their homes. Tribal leaders are working with the Multi-National Forces to rid the area of these foreign fighters and military-age men are swarming into towns to join the Iraqi Police force. General Petraeus agrees that for the moment, things are going well in Al Anbar. “In Anbar Province an encouraging development is the rise of Sheiks and tribes who want to fight against Al-Qaeda and to secure their own areas to contribute to the Iraqi Security Forces, in particular in there own areas.”
I commented to the general that I thought that Nouri al-Maliki’s visit to Ramadi was very significant. He agreed. “That was a very important visit. That was of strategic significance. [That was] the first time he had been in Ramadi since the 1970s. BIG DEAL! That area continues to progress. Interesting, what you don’t have there is sectarian violence. What you have there is Al-Qaeda and other insurgent elements that want to return Saddam, create a caliphate [or] do any number of different things.”
BAGHDAD
Then there is Baghdad. Baghdad has become the primary battleground in Iraq. “Baghdad, a city the size of Los Angeles, is spread out and very diverse. What you have there is almost a tale of two cities to some degree. It is a tale of one city that is predominantly Shia, those areas in which security is pretty good. Al–Qaeda is trying to get in and blow them up periodically but the checkpoints are stopping a good bit of that. Where commerce has returned, the markets have reopened. We have hardened all the markets. And I’m talking about enormous markets that have tens of thousands of people. Those areas have bounced back very, very well.”
Baghdad Book Market Bombing - 5 March 2007
“Then you have the mixed areas though that are still in the sense battlegrounds…All it takes is one death squad just to really literally ruin the neighborhood. They are fault line neighborhoods or they are Sunni Arab neighborhoods that are under threat from both Al-Qaeda, who’s trying to retain them as logistical routes or safe havens, and by, in some cases, Shia extremists who are trying to expand into those areas or to push into another block or another neighborhood.”
“Those are challenging places and they are challenging for the people that live in them as well… In fact we were in one of them just yesterday – the Amariyah area of Baghdad which is just east of the Baghdad International Airport; between that and the wealthy Mansur area, where all the diplomats used to live. And we were out talking to folks in the market and on the street and all that stuff. They are surviving, they are enduring. But you know it’s a pretty tough existence for them, frankly.”
THE KEY TO SUCCESS
We are only a few weeks into the Baghdad Security plan. Only two of the five surge Brigades have been inserted into the city, yet General Petraeus is cautiously optimistic. He knows what it will take to win. “The truth is, the key to all of this is the Iraqi leadership and we should make no mistake about it. The Iraqi Army will do well if it has good national leadership, like any Army. If the national leadership cannot not hang together as a national body, then how can you expect the national army to remain together?”
“You have to have a national government. You have to have national direction. I think the army is one of the better stories. It is a mixed bag in some cases but, by in large, the army has some quite good units, quite heartening units. I was just up in Ninewa Province for example and there are two pretty good Iraqi Army Divisions up there. In fact, we have only a single battalion contributing to the security in Mosul, in large measure because there is a pretty good Iraqi Army Division, pretty good police chief and police force. It is not perfect. It’s under threat. Al-Qaeda is trying to open a new front there. They did manage to break guys out of a prison. There are all kinds of pressures and challenges. But that’s actually a place where you can see the future of a smaller coalition presence and Iraqis stepping up to the plate and taking over. I wouldn’t say its easy there because you have some real ethnic challenges between Sunni Arabs and Sunni Kurds.”
An Iraqi girl waits to be seen during a medical mission in central Baghdad, 24 March 2007.
Iraq is rife with problems and challenges. Each area seems to have its own set of unique issues. This is what makes ‘victory’ in Iraq so difficult. But when asked, General Petraeus said this: “The real challenge is to create something that is sustainable. We could cut a deal with the Mahdi Army, for example. We could bargain for six or nine months of peace with them but that serves no purpose.”
FOCUSED ON THE JOB IN IRAQ
“Hopefully, we can create a window for opportunity for the Iraqi leaders so that they can bridge some of the differences [and] achieve true national reconciliation. And if they can’t, then we gotta look each other in the eye and say it's not gonna happen and say we need a Plan B.”
When I asked the general about the current political situation in America, he made it quite clear that his job was to remain focused on the mission in Iraq. Then he went on to say: “I think that a soldier should understand the mission he has been given and make sure he and his boss have discussed it and they are both clear on it and then ask for what he needs and then do the best he can with what he gets. And, inform people of the risk if he doesn’t get what he asks for. And, if it’s sufficiently less than what is judged to be needed, then he has to go back and say I can’t accomplish the mission, lets change the mission. That’s the approach you have to take.
“I cannot make my recommendations based on what I think the pain is back there for the military services or the White House or Capitol Hill or anything else. All we can do is do our mission to the best of our ability and retain integrity as we do that. And, be willing to note that if it’s not going to happen. I’ve gotta say that. I owe that to 150,000 young Americans and anther 10,000 coalition partners.
General Petraeus believes that the mission is doable, but he cautioned, “It is by no means a done deal.” “There are no guarantees.” “My job is to help the Iraqis establish a better level of security in Iraq – that is job one.”
Richard S. Lowry is the award winning author of the best selling book, “Marines in the Garden of Eden,” Berkley, New York, 2006. He is an internationally recognized military historian and author. Richard served in the U.S. Navy Submarine Service from 1967-1975 and spent the time from 1975 to 2002 designing sophisticated integrated circuits for everything from aircraft avionics to home computers. Richard turned to serious writing after 9/11 and published “The Gulf War Chronicles,” iUniverse, New York, in 2002. He is currently working on his next book project. “The Surge” will tell of General Petraeus’ attempt to win the peace in Iraq. For more information on Richard and his work, visit www.marinesinthegardenofeden.com or www.gwchronicles.com.
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Comments
whoops, thanks for the catch. fixed.
One of the few generals who "gets it" when it comes to counterinsurgency. He ignores the "Big Army" doctrine and way of doing things.
He gives me hope when there just seems no hope left in that shithole of a place.
Glad you took the opportunity to ask some tough questions... Like, 'hey, Petraeus, what happened to all those guns you handed out without any method of accounting for during your time as head of MNSTCI,' or, 'hey, Petraeus, what happened with Colonel Westhusing (http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/49233/)... I wish Petraeus all success in his current job... but am I the only one who can see that the man is a jackass?
sweet!
Sasha style ignorance is always great for like two dozen comments, heh.
Yes, Sasha, apparently you are the only one.
I am really encouraged by the events but I know there is a long way to go. I sure wish General P was running that show long ago... but then again, I wish we'd ousted Hussein back in 91. Thanks for the info, I am reading you all the time.
Yea, super job, why don't you ask the six marines killed over the weekend or the 100 civilians butchered. Oh, I forgot that was a one or two bodies down from the previous week. Why don't you ask the tough questions, like the one about Colonel Westhusing.........
Blackfive linked here, I posted this comment on that site, thought it might be thought-provoking if I posted it here too:
I've been thinking about this a little. I have come to the conclusion that what Petraeus is doing now, perhaps he could not have easily done much sooner. The past few years have been concentrated on building up the Iraqi army, police and government institutions, holding elections, and trying to take out the worst of the Al Qaeda thugs. It has also been spent feeling out the political and tribal landscape.
In my opinion, throughout this process, mistakes have been made. Not doing something serious about Sadr sooner is one of those mistakes. But for a while I was wondering "why didn't they just let Petraeus do his thing years ago?" Well, I think that he probably could have done more good if he was placed in charge of a larger area earlier. However, the surge probably would not be successful without all that previous work building up the allied forces, and pacifying some areas. Also I guess you could argue that it wasn't as clear that Petraeus was the man for the job before he demonstrated his success in Mosul (I believe).
Anyway, I guess the point is, everything so far has been leading up to this. I'm happy that progress so far seems good. It certainly seems like this man knows how to apply the counterinsurgency techniques that I know the US military (and especially Marines) understand. And he should, having overseen the update of the COIN field manual. Best of luck to him and I hope he stays safe, we (the Western world) need leaders like him.
Hmmm the stench of a Sock Puppet Your argument is pretty sad when you have to agree with yourself to push your argument.
Counter Insurgency is not about sprinting its marathon style warfare. Not to mention it is heavily dependent on impressions and will.
I would agree with the Blackfive comment that it’s very possible that the current strategy was not feasible until now. Sometimes before reconciliation can take place there just has to be some payback for past evils, in the Arab world that usually equates to blood of X group tribe sect blah blah click. After 4yrs of tit for tat get back I think both sides have committed enough atrocities to reconcile with the idea that they are somewhat equal. Who knows if it will work or not but some things just take time.
Petraus seems to talk good game seems very competent (little pre-Madonna type) but if he can get things back on track he will secure his place in the books for many years to come indeed.
Although personally I think Petraus is nearly irrelevant I think the war is really just ours to lose. By that I mean historically the sacrifices the WOT is demanding so far of US is sustainable for decades if needed. There is no historical norm or comparison that shows US losing the effort in Iraq. The enemy cannot beat US on any fields short killing his fellow Muslim civilians for 15minutes of fame, that to me is an un-sustainable strategy long term for the terrorist and more of a sign of weakness than strength. It pisses me off to no end that CNN can claim we are losing when AQ’s power really starts and ends at just killing Muslim women and children at market (was it not CNN not so long ago claiming that losing the Muslim Street by killing women and children would lose US the war why is that not the case for AQ? Or is it?). Our leadership's inability to voice our goals our effort is the problem OUR historically compared progress (insurgency war is a marathon style warfare). The military, economic, human aspects could without problem be sustained for decades but our home front moral and political will has been demoralized by internal forces that have been un-challenged by our leadership lending them credibility even when obviously outrages claims are made.
If we had a leader that could rally the people and speak, the war would not even be in question right now. We are losing this war in the impression of the war rather than the reality of the war. This I fear is something Petraus will be hard pressed if even possible to change.
Petraus can win the war on the ground, hold the line, or do nothing, even get the Iraqis to sing coombya together, and if the political leadership over here cannot get their sh*t together we will still lose this dam thing in the US populations impression of the war and that will cause our self imposed defeat no matter what the facts on the ground are.
Great article! Amazing what you can learn from someone who knows what he's doing and has no poliitical axe to grind.
General Petraeus said:
“Hopefully, we can create a window for opportunity for the Iraqi leaders so that they can bridge some of the differences [and] achieve true national reconciliation. And if they can’t, then we gotta look each other in the eye and say it's not gonna happen and say we need a Plan B.”
When Petraeus says Plan B, is he referring to the possible pursuit of Biden's partition plan?
Or, is Plan B the Republican's euphemism for 'redeployment', 'change of course', or 'a new direction'?
Good article. I had the honor of serving under General Petraus in Iraq. He is the real deal; the kind of leader this country needs more of to lead us through these dark times.
I had the honor of serving under General Petraus as a young paratrooper in the 82nd ABN Division. The best "Devil 6" I ever served under. I know he's the right man for the job!
I wish that General Petraeus would go to Capitol Hill Wed., and "respectfully DEMAND that congress approve the funding for his troops immediately, and quit politicizing our soldiers' gallant efforts." I wish that he would repeat that request over and over, in no uncertain terms, and I would like the media to cover that request over and over until the money is funded. I am the mother and aunt of soldiers in the midst of this mess, and want them supported on Capitol Hill immediately ~ if not sooner!
A Man Of The Utmost Honor...................................
It's old hat by now, that the Iraq war is going dismally, that the Bush Administration is huffing fantasy gas, that the very idea of trying to create a new American-style democracy in the current-day Middle East is worthy of Neil Simon at his caustic funniest.
What's unexpected, though, is for a shadow of real honor to arise from such a dismal swamp.
I'm not talking about the sincere efforts put forth by our military personelle every day in Iraq, in the service of what they hope will be a chance for that country to climb out of its abyss. Rather, I'm talking about the sacrifice of one particular, outstanding example of the virtues we ask of our soldiers.
I'm talking about Colonel Ted Westhusing, who took his own life in trailer 602A in Camp Dublin, in Bagdad, Iraq, on June 5th, 2005. He was 44 years of age, and was survived by a wife and three young children. I only recently learned of his story here .
Why does a suicide merit such lauds? Because the readily evident integrity of the man himself was only too obviously what drove him to it. Ted Westhusing was a graduate of West Point, and subsequently an instructor there, and took seriously what the academy teaches its cadets: that a cadet and officer will not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate those who do. He believed that the Iraq war was for a just cause, and trusted his commanders (including, needless to say, the Commander In Chief) to have only the most honorable motives for the actions they took and commanded.
Such principled devotion to duty commands respect from anyone, of any persuasion. I happen to have believed from the start that this war was an ethical abortion to put Augusto Pinochet's pocket purges to shame; but I'm from military stock, and recognize a hero when I see one. Colonel Ted Westhusing was one such.
And just where is the heroism in suicide?
Lets start with a couple of observations. First, a soldier - any soldier of any rank - is beholden to his commanders, no matter what the issue at hand, and must follow their orders. No one understood this better than Ted Westhusing, who had inculcated cadets in these principles. If a soldier takes issue with his commanders, he has a very limitted pallet of options. He can express his reservations to the commanders in question, given that they give him permission to do so; or if that permission is explicit or implicit in the mandate that accompanies his defined position.
If the issue is urgent enough, he can go over his commanders' heads to the next level of command, but he had better damn well be right when he does so; or he'll be guilty of operating outside of the chain of command - and there are precious few offenses that are worse than that, in the armed forces.
Finally, he can refuse to follow orders that he judges are illegal - but again, he had better be right in his judgement. One of the first things you give up, when you sign up, is the right to judge for yourself what's right or wrong. In a nutshell, that's why I never signed up. Westhusing did, and I can't fault him for it. The military won't work, if everyone in it is free to exercize their conscience.
It was his conscience that drove him to take his own life. He could not countenance what he saw happening around him - the way that Iraqi commanders treated the war effort as just another occasion for graft and bribes and theft; and the way American contractors took it all in stride, and looked the other way as war materiel disappeared into thin air; ultimately, as we know, to re-appear in hands not at all friendly to the American effort.
It's not clear, but I would assume that Westhusing made efforts to inform his commanders of the situation, and met with a wall of intentional ignorance. His suicide note says as much.
Given this, his options were starkly clear. He could rotate home (only a month away, at the time of his suicide) and remain silent, as his oath of service demanded; but such a choice would in effect condone the corruption he was witness to. He could violate his oath and go outside of the chain of command, to aprise someone of the situation; but that would put him in the wrong nearly as much as those he sought to expose. Or he could do the only honorable thing a soldier can do, when faced with a dilemma like this.
The only acceptable excuse, for a soldier not performing his defined duty, is his death.
Westhusing was the sort who took this sort of question seriously. He was literally driven to fall on his sword. Given who he was, I don't think he overtly used his death to try to subvert the corruption he saw around himself, but saw it as the only honorable way to refuse to participate in the corruption himself. He doubtless hoped that his action might have a beneficial effect; but remember, he addressed his suicide communication to his commanding officers, leaving the outcome up to them. And he knew pretty well where they stood, already.
I don't know what I would have done, but in his place I hope I would have had the courage to do what he did. He had everything to live for, but no honorable way to live for it. And for him, honor was everything. If he had accepted the corruption of all he held dear, he would have been a broken man; he certainly could not have gone back to West Point to teach more cadets about the virtues of honor, as he had intended when he took the Iraq appointment. He could not have faced his growing children, and taught them that there are more important principles than personal survival, if he himself had sacrificed his principles on that altar.
This was a man of principle, one of a sadly vanishing breed. He was of the lineage of the devoted Samurai who, like him, could only express their displeasure at their lord's will by spilling their entrails on his tatami.
Colonel Ted Westhusing's suicide was not an act of cowardice; was not a failing of imagination, or a sin of hubris, or a mistaken bid for twisted immortality. It was the only honorable option left, for a man to whom honor was life. It was the only message he could leave his young children, to show how a man should make a choice, when there are no choices left to make. It was the only way he had to show America that there are things more important than gain; more important than profits; more important than the sadly twisted sort of patriotism that will support a leader when what he advocates is evil.
It's time to end the madness.
What sort of leader is George W. Bush, if he needs such offerings of blood? What sort of man makes jokes about WMDs under his desk, when good men and women are dying for his arrogance? Dying for the profits of his friends? What kind of world are we making, where such men are king?
Bush, Cheney, and Rove took something beautiful, the trust and honor of America's service-men and -women; and made it into something ugly, perverted, and now despised; to suit the hegemonic imperative of their obscenely aquisative fellow-travelers. The world is their oyster, and they don't care where, or in whose eyes, the fragments of shell fly.
Government for the people is anathema to them, as is the very concept of an honorable peace and security for all the world's people. Only endless war will serve their agenda of endless profit. They have shown themselves for what they are; and what they are can only be rejected, by all who call themselves human.
They must be vomitted from the gut of humanity; before humanity dies of the poison.
I'll leave the last words to Colonel Ted Westhusing, of honored memory:
"Life needs trust. Trust is no more for me here in Iraq."
IHaveHadMyFil,
Well said. I feel renewed faith in humanity to read your words and to know others see what I see going on in this world. I hope others will take the time to read it.
I only recently became aware of Colonel Ted Westhusing death and would like to thank "IhaveHadMyFil" for his eloquent tribute. Your respect for this man is evident and as a retired Army Enlisted I too believe: "It's time to end the madness."
The neo-con chickehawks who cooked the books on intelegence and lied our country into this invasion/war will one day answer to a higher judgement for their sins.
A Vietnam veteran friend of mine suggested what he thinks is a sure-fire way to end the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan: The threat should be widely promulgated, and carried out at least once, that any terrorists killed during insurgent acvtivity will be buried in a pig skin, and any captured during terrorist activity will be similarly attired. He feels this will end the fighting, and quickly. Of course, this suggestion is far from politically correct, and is certain to make our so-called "friends" in the Arab world mad at us, but it is certainly worth it to spare one more American life. Pleae see to it that General Petraeus, Defense Secretary Gates, and any other of the powers that be, are apprised of this solution. Thank you.
Did Katie went there to Irak so we can see how solder live and fight for Gas that raising up all the time HERE IN US, or we are fighting to protect one small middle eastern trable maker nation, or she went to full around with general, what ever it is we are loosing people for NOTHNG
CAN YOU PLACE GENERAL EMAIL SO WE CAN WRITE TO HIM, PLEASE
T YOU
I do not beleive my coment were in proprieted i told the truet
Dear General, My Name is Nancy McKinney we are at Fort Stewrat Ga, My husband is with the 3rd Infantry Division with 3/69 Delta Company, His Name is 1LT Everett McKinney they deployed in Jan,2007 we are now parents of a soldier her name is Whitney Thomas she is 17yrs old she wanted to follow in her father's foot steps and is now a American Soldier and is going to Fort Campell Ky they will be deploying soon and i am asking or really Begging you if you could please bring these brave soldiers home for christmas so they can spend that time with there love ones my little girl is 5yrs old and she says mommy do you think if i ask santa that i don't want nothing for christmas if he will bring daddy home oh god that just cut through me but my son that is 10yrs old said that you need to pray to the General he is the one that can.. Sir,a wife and now mother of a Soldier i am asking if you can find it in your heart to bring the hard working soldiers home for christmas whitney said she wants to please have time with her father and me before she go's to war. Myself and my husband have had personal sacrifices for the U.S Army my husband and others have given selfless service to their country. and the commitment the fine soldiers who are willing and are carrying on that tradition but it would mean alot to the soldiers and it would show them that you and the country appreciates the Soldiers and their familys for their sacrifices that they have been through if you would bring them home in time for them to be together at Christmas they don't want to hear you say thank you myself and others want to see it and others like me can spend time with their kids before they go and carry the torch in a conflict that will ensure the security and freedom of this country. I got a certificate of appreciation award this award sent and signed by General Casey it is for outstanding support for our girl PVT Whitney Marie Thomas a soldier of the united states Army. The Army greatly appreciates our support and our contributions and sacrifices for the freedom and the security of our Nation but please show wife's, mothers,father's, and children that are apart from their parents for a long time that you do appreciate their safrifices and bring them home before Dec 25th 2007 that will show them that you do care and it is not just talk and fathers and mother of children that are getting ready to go sacrifice even more then what they have please... Do something for us for what we do and the hardships that we go through.. i am going to pray that you can let me and my husband and other parents to be able to spend time together before they go to war. Thank You Mrs Nancy McKinney
Dear General ,
Iam praying all the time to the god to help you in order to accomplish the mission in iraq ,I know you are so busy ,but please try to read my messege ,Iam an iraqian physician ,working as interpretor in the trauma training program in 28th CSH with the U.S. army in the green zone .
The thing that make's me left my work as aphysician is the threatening from Al-mahdi Army(militia)in the area where I live because Iam interested to speak with the U.S. army troops , so they tried to kill me 2 times that makes me to go inside an american Base (Kalsow) which refered me to the 28th CSH hospital .
Iam feel that I lost every thing right now , but believe me Iam not regret on my friendship with the u.s.troops .
last month Iam tried to come to the embassy to take picture with you , but the guards told me that I can't because Iam not an american citizen ,but always there's hope ,my good luck makes you came to the hospital last week , my dream become real & I took the picture with you .
General pitraeus ,Now Iam trapped inside the green zone , can't see my family & my single daughter ,see evrey thing black , the militia knew that Iam inside the green zone now working with the U.S Army , at this moment Iam hopeless ,this what makes me write to you .
Is my fault that Iam became educated ?reading about the history inclding the american one ? love the american nation ?
Iam sorry for sharing you my burdens , but I know 'Like the picture with you ' always there's hope .
One day my dream will be true ,and live in the united states with those people who I love them and admire them .
I know it's acrises now and you guys will success ,you know why ? because the wrong will give up very soon .this is the principal of the life .
Thank you for reading my messege & Iam promise you that one day I will Be in the united states ,if not assassinated ,to live with this nation that Iam always reading about it .keep strong ,thank's alot
Hany A. Hady september/9/07
To The General:
You are weathering the storm well in D.C. this week. Your self control is amazing.
Had I been insulted by such vile politicians I would have jumped the podium and bled them out. Your service is appreciated your status admired and you and your Army are in turn protected by all the true patriots out here in the real world. We are forever in your debt.
God bless General Petraeus and all who serve under him. Thank You Lloyd Johnson service #13601262
I noticed something that is not on the general's dress uniform which is the symbol of our nation. I checked a few other general's pics and verified the same that none of the dress uniforms have our nation's symbol, the US flag. Is there a reason for this, or is it an overlook? A pin of the USA flag like the president wears on his coat lapel would be nice above their name.
Roger Mansard
Dear Gen. Petraus:
You could be a real hero still by resigning and telling your soldiers and the American people that you regret using distorted facts and manipulated numbers to present a radically false picture to Congress. Everyone who has a brain and who has been paying attention knows how hopeless the situation in Iraq is and how any force will be met with an equal and opposite reaction, and that the political landscape is not going to change any more than the security landscape is going to change. Spare the lives of your troops and thousands of innocent Iraquis and and billions of dollars by resigning now, while you still have a conscience and can still look at yourself in the mirror. You are the key. The warmongers and war profiteers cannot maintain their ruse any longer, once you come clean.
sss
I talked with General Petraeus a few years ago regarding a project I was working on. He was one of my advisors. I lost his number. Do you have a direct number to his office? Please advise. I need to talk with him in the near future. Thank you.
Shanon
God bless america
The General is the right leader in the right place at the right time. The history of our nation is filled with such occurences from Gen. Washington to Gen. Petraeus. When this happens we benefit from the effect these charismatic and farsighted leaders have on our military. Their impact far outweighs mere politics and leaves ripples throughout history that have positive a impact upon our future operations. De Oppresso Liber-JMPMASTR
I want to talk to the general.. i think it is important there are issues unresolved which have to be resolved and these issues come before the iraq war which i have contract from some arab leaders and i want to talk to him about the truth and the misuse of war and lack of justice and why he can't obtain peace.
If the american's don't want to talk because they arrogant that is fine because they are murders and if that is the case which they don't want to provide justice or accountability then it is better to submit to a foreign government which will be more fair then the Americans.
He came in at the last of the abuses of the battle when the American's thought they would win but no one wants to be raped and killed by them and would rather die.
So better outside governments take this war then america or the Islamics fighting.
thank u general for everything u do. I hope u don't listen to the elitist and socialists in this country. send thanks to all the troops
i believe david petraeus is as big a horses rear ends as good ol george and dick. they are doing nothing but getting our troops killed for a bunch of ignorant people who really don't want us there. it's really all about george and dick's oil interest. that is theirs and all their oil baron buddies. we need to get out now and let those people take care of their own problems. we are not the worlds baby sitters
i guess the truth hurts,or certain people don't want the truth told.
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Excellent article.
You may want to correct the caption for the last image. May 2007 hasn't come around yet.