Absolutely true. GEN Petraeus is an Iraq expert. Afghanistan is VERY different, and I can only hope during his tenure as CENTCOM commander he became an Afghanistan expert. GEN Petraeus may be a politician, but he is anything but stupid and I would hope that he's not forcing a square peg into a round hole.
Petraeus’ main accomplishment was to make the first formal accommodation with Sunni insurgents.
He hired the guns away from AQI and turned them against each other while we provided air support. I wasn't too crazy about that idea either considering the American blood on those guys' hands, but you can't argue with success. It was a brilliant move that worked like a charm.
I wasn’t too crazy about that idea either considering the American blood on those guys’ hands, but you can’t argue with success. It was a brilliant move that worked like a charm.”
Agreed.
But, seriously, why is he so out to lunch on A-stan? Why do you think? Political? Ambition? There’s something real wrong here. He’s marking time and this blood is gonna get them nothing else.