The media conveniently over looks the fact that McChrystal was handpicked by Obama. Obama then gave McChrystal’s plan and COIN strategy his personal blessing including an additional 21,000 troops initially, followed by a surge of 30,000 more(which won’t be complete until September). They can call appointing Petraeus brilliant, but that appointment was caused by Obama’s collossal failure with McChrystal.
If this guy thinks Obama is a clown, that certainly limits the selection for soldiers who have any respect for Obama.
Still, I'm not sure Petraeus can succeed in this mission. When Pres Bush adopted the surge, it was because he recognized that the then current strategy was failing and Petraeus had, in the surge idea, the answer. And then, most importantly, Pres Bush got out of the General’s way and saw that he got the tools he needed. Result: Win.
I'm not convinced Obama will play it that way. He knows better than the rest of us (in his mind), doesn't trust the military, and will be constantly looking over Petraeus’s shoulder, criticizing and “correcting”.
One thing that always surprised me was that the rules of engagement that everyone is so upset about,and rightly so, were actually devised by McChrystal from what I have read.
I think we are too quick to praise this whole situation unless we acknowledge Patraeus may be doing this to save as many troops as he can as the Democrats move to withdrawal.
Petraeus will eventually fail in Afghanistan because the Democrats in congress and President Zero won’t do what is necessary to win in the long run. Then the MSM and the Democrats will associate Patraeus to GWB and the blame game will go on once again.