The Battle Ahead: Gen. Petraeus On US Strategy For Afghanistan

Gen. David H. Petraeus during testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Doug Mills/The New York Times

From The New York Post:

WITH Afghanistan troubled, Pakistan aflame and Washington impatient, Gen. David Petraeus faces even greater challenges today than he did in his rescue of Iraq. Currently heading the US Central Command, Petraeus is the American soldier responsible for the greater Middle East. It may be the toughest job of our time.

On Saturday, the general answered questions posed by The Post:

Post: With the summer combat season beginning, the Taliban in an aggressive stance and a surge of 21,000 more US troops into Afghanistan, what should the American people expect in the coming months?

Petraeus: Expect tough fighting. As we and our allies launch operations to improve security, the enemy will fight back. When we launched the "surge of offensives" in Iraq, al Qaeda-Iraq elements sought to retain their sanctuaries and safe havens. We experienced tough combat. We'll see the same in Afghanistan. In preparation, and in response to Gen. McKiernan's request for additional forces, we've been deploying "enabler" elements in addition to the ground combat units. This will ensure that our troopers have the support they need -- attack and lift helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, various intelligence systems, route clearance units, MRAP [mine-resistant ambush-protected] vehicles, EOD [bomb-disposal] elements and logistics units.

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My Comment: If these goals and objectives do not accomplish the pacification of Afghanistan, General Petraeus will be the next big General whose career will end because of this war.