A critical moment during the Petraeus/Crocker hearings yesterday came when the general refused to play along. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), referring to the Democratic presidential candidates, urged, cajoled, and all but begged Petraeus to state that a rapid, one-brigade-a-month troop withdrawal would be a disaster. But Petraeus was cautious: "It clearly will depend on the conditions at the time." Read my new Current on the Petraeus/Crocker hearings.
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Petraeus The Politician
09 Apr 2008 01:31 pm
Comments (7)
Petrraeus amazingly has been able to be all things to all people.
http://www.gopcatholics.blogspot.com
So no Petraeus Veep slot just because he won't play along with McCain's wacky sidekick? Seems fair...
http://www.political-buzz.com/
from swimming freestyle:
"Perhaps if we look at the problem like grown-ups, not petulant kids who demand the game be played their way or no way...
No one wants a shattered Iraq, full of sectarian militias battling each other, a nonfunctional government, and a bitter, pissed off populace. Instead of stubbornly adhering to a simplistic, "if I just wish hard enough it will happen" Bush strategy (a long term military presence to tamp down violence waiting for the Iraqi government to get it together), why not consider how we help the Iraq government function more effectively? If our current strategy is not yielding the desired results (some end point for U.S. involvement), isn't it smart to change strategy until you find one that works?
Isn't that what grown-ups do?"
http://swimmingfreestyle.typepad.com
from Jay,
"If our current strategy is not yielding the desired results (some end point for U.S. involvement), isn't it smart to change strategy until you find one that works?"
I don't think any rational person in the debate would disagree. But withdrawing all, or nearly all, troops isn't a strategy: it's the absence of a strategy. It's saying that discussing rational strategies is a waste of time, that nothing will work, so let's go home.
Nick you said it very simply, we can not "take our ball and go home". Second to the fact that we will leave a vacuume like we did in korea. This will leave Iran with their terrorist alies to take over one of the oil rich countries, giving them all the resources they need to build nuclear weapons, and build an arsonald of WMD',s it will also make us look defeated, a political strategy by Bush haters to say "we told you so" regardless of the cost to the security of Americans.
What has always made this country the greatest country is our resolve to defend liberty and freedom where ever it was threatened or denied. THAT IS WHAT THIS COUNTRY STANDS FOR... to step away from that principle now would erode our very foundation.
Nick you said it very simply, we can not "take our ball and go home". Second to the fact that we will leave a vacuume like we did in korea. This will leave Iran with their terrorist alies to take over one of the oil rich countries, giving them all the resources they need to build nuclear weapons, and build an arsonald of WMD',s it will also make us look defeated, a political strategy by Bush haters to say "we told you so" regardless of the cost to the security of Americans.
What has always made this country the greatest country is our resolve to defend liberty and freedom where ever it was threatened or denied. THAT IS WHAT THIS COUNTRY STANDS FOR... to step away from that principle now would erode our very foundation.
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The surge was billed as providing the breathing room for political reconciliation. This has not happened. Petraeus understands this, and is thus rightly cautious about overplaying his hand. Any prediction he makes that isn't 100% on mark will come back to bite him in the ass.
Frankly, his assessment and demeanor make him look a lot more credible than McCain on this issue.
Posted by LFC | April 9, 2008 2:29 PM