Battling for IraqDavid H. Petraeus [Op-ed piece for the Washington Post]
BAGHDAD -- Helping organize, train and equip nearly a quarter-million of Iraq's security forces is a daunting task. Doing so in the middle of a tough insurgency increases the challenge enormously, making the mission akin to repairing an aircraft while in flight -- and while being shot at ...
The institutions that oversee them are being reestablished from the top down. And Iraqi leaders are stepping forward, leading their country and their security forces courageously in the face of an enemy that has shown a willingness to do anything to disrupt the establishment of the new Iraq.
In recent months, I have observed thousands of Iraqis in training and then watched as they have conducted numerous operations. Although there have been reverses -- not to mention horrific terrorist attacks -- there has been progress in the effort to enable Iraqis to shoulder more of the load for their own security, something they are keen to do" ...
So what's wrong with what General Petraeus writes there for the Washington Post? It's 'optimistic' and he deserves a chance, right?
Well, the problem - Gen. Petraeus wrote that op-ed on September 26, 2004.
Great piece by Brent Budowsky at AlterNet on just how incompetent Petraeus has been his entire time in Iraq and how he's nothing but another political hack for Bush.
Bring them home!
