An Interview With General Petraeus

Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak, left, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus receive a briefing from Afghan army Brig. Gen. Amlaqullah Patyani, commander of the Kabul Military Training Center, in Afghanistan, Jan. 11, 2011. At any given time, more than 11,000 recruits at the center are preparing to serve in the Afghan national army. Petraeus is the commander of the International Security Assistance Force. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Brian Brannon

FT Interview Transcript: Gen David Petraeus -- Financial Times

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General David Petraeus, the commander of Nato and US forces in Afghanistan, spoke to Matthew Green, the Financial Times Afghanistan and Pakistan correspondent, at his headquarters in Kabul on February 6.

He pledged to raise the pressure on the Taliban this year, but warned that violence could increase in some areas as insurgents sought to regain lost ground. He said an escalating campaign of raids to kill or capture insurgent commanders was causing divisions within the Taliban leadership, and explained his plans to raise village forces to prevent insurgent infiltration. He also argued that operations by US and Afghan forces last year had won improvements in security in Kabul and parts of the south, and pledged to counter insurgent attempts to infiltrate other parts of the country.

The following is an edited transcript:

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My Comment: This is one of the longest interviews with General Petraeus that I have read in a long time. Read it all.