Name:
David Petraeus (1952- )
Affiliation:
United States Army (active)
Famous Quote:
“Money is ammunition”
Conflict:
Operation Joint Forge (Bosnia)
Operation Uphold Democracy (Haiti)
Operation Desert Spring (Kuwait)
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Specialty:
Counter Insurgency
Nemesis:
Al Qaeda
Shiite Militias
Foreign Insurgents
The New York Times
MoveOn.org
Famous Tactics:
“The Surge”
Employment programs for Iraqi Civilians
Public works projects
Notable Victories:
Credited for swaying Iraqi Sunni Muslims away from Al Qaeda and returning American occupied Iraq from the brink of civil war.
Notable Defeats:
None
Synopsis:
General David Petraeus quite literally wrote the book on counter insurgency in the 21st century. He has applied experiences learned the hard way in Vietnam as well as other failed occupations worldwide in order to develop a strategy that is credited with nearly winning a war many referred to as un-winnable.
Petraeus was the subject of a controversial political ad published in the New York Times by the group MoveOn.org. The title of the add featured the poorly humored play on words “General Betray Us.” The goal of the ad was to accuse the General of “cooking the books” for the Bush Administration. However, the add was not well received by the public and Democratic Leaders quickly moved to protect themselves denouncing the article. Public outrage over the article was an indicator that although still an unpopular war, the tide was turning in Iraq. History would show that Petraeus was correct in his assessment that the surge was working and conditions in Iraq were improving.
Petraeus is a far cry from a “soldier’s soldier.” His expertise comes more from hours of intense study and historical analysis rather than from front line battle experiences. But his enemies have quickly learned that Petraeus is a man to be reckoned with.
When he took over American Forces in Iraq, the war was at an all time low. Sectarian Violence, low morale, and public opinion all plagued the effort. Petraeus was able to overcome these obstacles through a series of small-scale public works projects. He gave modest budgets for low-profile projects to mid-ranking field commanders and in doing so; he was able to win over Iraqi sentiment one town at a time. When he was able to turn the Iraqi public against foreign insurgents; he all but secured victory for the American Military in the effort to establish a new democratic government in Iraq.
Recently, Petraeus was reassigned to head the US Central Command. Now his gaze is shifted to Afghanistan where Americans hope he can apply his famous tactics and skill to bring peace to a region that has known only war for several decades.
Image Used in Post
General David Petraeus image courtesy of Flickr user Army.mil published under the CC license.
~Man Overboard
7 Comments
Hey Jack, roughly when did this ad appear in the Times?
Late August 2007
Jack, another question… Due to Patraeus’ lack of battlefield experience, was his appointment to the head of the allied forces received with criticism and skepticism initially from both sides?
I couldn’t find anything about reactions to his initial appointment in Iraq.
I was hoping we might get some insight from readers in the military…
Well written Jack. I’m definitely a fan of Patraeus…he’s done a remarkable job turning around the perception of the War on Terror which was no easy task. Perhaps he will be the next Eisenhower so to speak of course that will hinge on how well he performs in Afghanistan.
Jack, from the military standpoint I would have to say that when General Petraeus was appointed Commander of Multi National Forces Iraq most Soldiers felt he was the right man for the job. He had a history of getting the job done while he was the Commander of ground forces in Mosul Iraq in 2003. Now that he is Commander of all forces in the Middle East I think we will start to see more focus shift towards Afghanistan.
Jack, I am glad to see that you are well read and I look forward to reading more of your articles.
Rob,
Great to hear from you, and thanks for chiming in! I was somewhat hesitant to write about an active duty general in an on-going war due to my civi status. It’s good to know you agree on this one.
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[...] I will throw this one jab his way and say that the delay in his decision was a political stunt meant to avoid the appearance of a “rush to war” president as he has routinely accused Bush 43. With his delayed decision, he maintains the position of having thought long and hard while not taking such a decision lightly. According to the White House, he took the time to meet with his commanders including Defense Secretary Robert Gates and General David Petraeus. [...]