How Did General Petraeus Earn His Bronze Star

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Petraeus Allegedly Earned A Bronze Star For Combat Valor 'Without Firing his Rifle' -- Business Insider

The most that has been publicly documented about Petraeus in real, actual combat is a mortar shell that landed near him in Iraq in 2003.

Yet he came away from the conflict with a Bronze Star for Combat Valor.

It's not uncommon to see a valor award on an upper level military officer, but a lot of those were earned in their days at lieutenants or, for former enlisted Mustang officers, their time as low-ranking 'straight-leg' grunts.

One Army Colonel, recently interviewed for an article in Time Magazine, described Patraeus as "a remarkable piece of fiction."

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My Comment: The knives are out for David Petraues.

The Troops Can’t Quit

President Obama and Gen. David Petraeus appeared together at a White House press conference June 23, 2010. Larry Downing/Reuters

Gen. David Petraeus: ‘The Troops Can’t Quit’ -- Washington Post

“It’s ‘open the envelope time,’ ” Gen. David Petraeus told his security team as his SUV approached the White House on June 21, 2011, for his final meeting with President Obama on the drawdown of forces from Afghanistan. Petraeus had returned to Washington from his command in Kabul for consultations with Obama on the drawdown, and for a Senate committee hearing on his nomination to become the next director of the CIA. On the way from the Pentagon, retired Army general Jack Keane, a mentor and former vice chief of staff of the Army, e-mailed Petraeus with rumors of what he was hearing: The White House was going to recommend 10,000 troops depart by the end of 2011, with the remaining 23,000 surge forces out by the summer of 2012, a far more drastic timetable for withdrawal than Petraeus had recommended.

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My Comment: My must read for today.

Is Retired Gen. David H. Petraeus Being Mocked In This New Book?

Was Petraeus The Model For Book’s Drunk General? -- Washington Post

Retired Gen. David H. Petraeus is probably the most photographed soldier of his generation. The pistol in his left hand and the whiskey in his right would definitely be a new look.

Michael Hastings, who vaulted to fame in 2010 when he penned a controversial profile of another top Army general, is out with a new book this week and, while the publisher is promising new “shocking behind-the-scenes” details about America’s military commanders, the book’s cover might prove shock enough.

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My Comment: The book cover sure looks like retired General Petraeus.

General Petraeus Retires From The Army -- News Roundup

PETRAEUS FAREWELL - Army Gen. David H. Petraeus reviews troops at his retirement ceremony and Armed Forces Farewell on Joint Base Meyer-Henderson Hall, Va., Aug. 31, 2011. Petraeus retired from the military after a 37-year career to become CIA director. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

Petraeus Retires, With A Warning -- New York Times

WASHINGTON—An era in the American military came to an end on Wednesday when David H. Petraeus, the most influential general of his generation, retired with a 17-gun salute and a warning that coming budget cuts should not lead to the “hollow Army” that occurred after the Vietnam War.

Just 11 days before the 10th anniversary of Osama Bin Laden’s attacks on New York and Washington, General Petraeus also implicitly cautioned that the United States should not abandon the troop-intensive and expensive counterinsurgency doctrine that was his hallmark when he commanded the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The general spoke as the Obama White House is shifting from a broad counterinsurgency strategy of trying to build roads, schools and good government in Afghanistan to a narrower and more secretive counterterrorism mission of hunting down terrorists.

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More News On General Petraeus Retiring from the U.S. Army

Petraeus Garners Praise at Retirement Ceremony -- US Department of Defense
Petraeus retires, warns against budget cuts. The general is set to take over as CIA director Sept. 6 -- MSNBC/Reuters
General Petraeus hangs up uniform, warns on budget -- Reuters
As he hangs up uniform, Petraeus warns on defense cuts -- AFP
Petraeus: Budget Cuts Must Not Impair Military -- ABC News
Petraeus Retires, Warns Against Military Cuts -- ABC News
Petraeus Bids Farewell to US Military -- Voice of America
David Petraeus officially retires from Army -- Politico
Petraeus bids farewell to military, but not to Washington -- Stars and Stripes
Gen. Petreaus Retires From Army, to Head CIA -- Epoch Times
After Leading Two Wars, Petraeus Retires From Army -- NPR
Petraeus ends 'historic' military career to lead CIA -- CNN
Petraeus Says US Must Maintain Military Versatility -- Voice of America
Petraeus retires from US military ahead of CIA post -- BBC
Obama speaks to Petraeus -- USA Today
Gen. Petraeus Honored in Retirement Ceremony -- PICTURES -- National Journal
The impact of Gen. David Petraeus, in four takes -- Jason Ukman, Washington Post
In the End, Petraeus Really Was That Good -- Spencer Ackerman, Danger Room

Gen. David H. Petraeus Hands Over Command Of the Afghan Mission To Marine Gen. John Allen

Transition: General Petraeus, left, today handed over control of the Afghan mission to General Allen at this ceremony in Kabul. Photo from The Daily Mail

Gen. David H. Petraeus Ends His Command In Afghanistan -- Washington Post

KABUL — Gen. David H. Petraeus relinquished his command of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan on Monday, handing the reins to Marine Gen. John Allen as the United States and its allies begin to withdraw troops from the country where they have waged war for nearly a decade.

Petraeus ends his tour in Afghanistan without conclusive signs that the counter-insurgency strategy he helped design has turned the tide in the war against the Taliban. The more than 140,000 NATO troops under his command have weakened the insurgency in some of its key strongholds in the south, but other parts of the country remain treacherous, and Taliban leaders still operate with relative impunity from Pakistan.

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More News On General Petraeus Ending His Command In Afghanistan

US General Petraeus hands over command in Afghanistan amid wave of attacks -- the Christian Science Monitor
General David Petraeus hands over Afghan command -- The Guardian
Gen. Petraeus hands over command in Afghanistan -- Seattle Times/AP
David Petraeus hands over Afghan command -- Politico
New CIA chief Petraeus hands over command in Afghanistan -- Reuters
Petraeus hands over Afghan war amid bloodshed -- CBS
Petraeus Hands Over Command in Afghanistan -- Voice of America
Petraeus withdraws from Afghanistan -- Global Post
David Petraeus hands over Afghanistan command -- BBC
Incoming C.I.A. chief Petraeus hands over command in Afghanistan to Marine general -- Global Post

General Petraeus's Final ISAF Interview

What Will Be The Impact Of Having General Petraeus At The CIA

Petraeus To The CIA: Surge Superintendent To Spearhead Spooks -- The Economist

BIG personnel changes are afoot for President Obama's national-security lineup. Leon Panetta, currently director of the CIA, will move into the cabinet seat about to be vacated by Robert Gates, the secretary of defence. Meanwhile Mr Panetta's plum CIA gig will go to General David Petraeus, currently America's head honcho in Afghanistan. Mr Obama's decision to make George Bush's favourite general the CIA's new helmsman brings home the remarkable, and to many of us the deeply disappointing, continuity between the Bush and Obama's adminstrations' approaches to national security and war. Installing the architect of the Iraq surge in Langley raises several worries. As Glenn Greenwald observes:

One reason why it's so valuable to keep the CIA under civilian control is because its independent intelligence analyst teams often serve as one of the very few capable bureaucratic checks against the Pentagon and its natural drive for war.


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More News On General Petraeus Being Appointed To Run the CIA

CIA's new boss once a customer of its spy efforts -- AP
Petraeus may shake up CIA: 'He doesn't suffer fools' -- MSNBC/AP
Petraeus Makes Quick Trip to Washington -- Wall Street Journal
For Petraeus, first impressions at CIA will be critical -- Washington Post
New CIA chief David Petraeus' possible new critic: himself -- L.A. Times
Gen. Petraeus to move from Afghanistan war command to CIA, step onto political stage -- Canadian Press
Bringing Petraeus to C.I.A. Offers Benefits for Obama -- The Caucus/New York Times
In Petraeus, a CIA pick with political heft -- Reuters
Petraeus' war legacy befits his future post at CIA -- USA Today
Analysis: Petraeus' CIA move raises awkward questions -- Reuters
Could Petraeus be too shiny for the CIA? -- Reuters
Petraeus to the CIA: good news for Barack Obama, bad news for America -- Peter Oborne, The Telegraph

What Will President Obama Do With General Petraeus?

U.S. General David Petraeus, commander of the international security assistance force and commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, testifies at a Senate Armed Services committee hearing on the situation in Afghanistan, on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 15, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Jason Reed

Obama Faces Choice on Petraeus -- Wall Street Journal

Afghanistan Commander Is a Contender, but Not a Shoo-In, for Joint Chiefs Job.

As President Barack Obama approaches a summer of decisions on Afghanistan, one of the trickiest will be whether to promote his battlefield commander, Gen. David Petraeus, to chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The decision on the new chairman will likely come in the next few months, at the same time Mr. Obama settles on how quickly to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, a process he has promised would begin by July.

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My Comment: General Petraeus will be slotted into a top post when he leaves Afghanistan. What that post will be .... hmmmm .... I say Supreme Commander In Europe. Then again .... after fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for the past few years .... General Petraeus may decide to retire and just fade away.

General Petraeus Gives Congress A Progress Report On The War In Afghanistan

U.S. General Cites 'Significant' Progress In Afghanistan, But Calls Gains 'Fragile' -- Radio Free Europe

The commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan has told a Senate committee that NATO forces have largely succeeding in halting the momentum of the Taliban and that U.S. plans to begin withdrawing troops this July remain on schedule.

But in his first testimony before Congress since he took command last year, U.S. General David Petraeus also warned the Senate Armed Services Committee that gains by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) are not solidified and could still be reversed.

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More News On General Petraeus' Testimony Before Congress

Petraeus outlines "significant" but "fragile" progress in Afghan war -- CBS News
Citing progress, Petraeus embraces US troop drawdown in Afghanistan; calls gains fragile -- Canadian Press/AP
U.S. general: Progress in jeopardy -- Detroit Free Press
Gen. Petraeus: Progress in Afghanistan 'Fragile and Reversible' -- ABC news
Gen. Petraeus: Gains 'fragile,' 'reversible' -- Politico
Petraeus Testifies On The Hill -- NPR
Fight against Taliban making progress: Petraeus -- AFP
US, NATO forces' progress in Afghanistan 'fragile and reversible': Petraeus -- Sify News
U.S. commander claims progress, admits danger in Afghanistan -- Xinhuanet
General Sees Joint Bases for Afghans After 2014 -- New York Times
US General: Security Transition in Afghanistan Will Start Soon, But Will be Gradual -- Voice of America
Petraeus Isn’t Sure How Many Troops Will Come Home In July -- The Danger Room
Petraeus: Taliban momentum halted in Afghanistan, but harder fighting ahead -- Washington Post
Petraeus: tough spring ahead, but Afghan drawdown on -- Reuters
Gen Petraeus: US to begin sending troops home from Afghanistan in July -- The Telegraph
Petraeus backs Afghanistan drawdown -- Al Jazeera
Petraeus still backing July drawdown in Afghanistan -- CNN
Gen. Petraeus Reports -- New York Times editorial
Washington Smackdown: Petraeus vs. "Substantial Drawdown" -- Robert Naiman, Huffington post
Post-2014 U.S. Presence in Afghanistan: ‘Joint Facilities’ -- Danger Room
Petraeus: Gains in Afghanistan 'Fragile and Reversible'; Afghans Will Take Over in Select Provinces -- Chris Good, The Atlantic

General Petraeus To Be Succeeded By Marine Gen. John Allen

Photo: Marine Lt. Gen. John Allen

Best Defense Exclusive: Petraeus To Be Succeeded By Marine Gen. John Allen -- Best Defense/Foreign Policy

I am hearing around town that Gen. David Petraeus will indeed step down in Afghanistan later this year, and probably will be replaced by Marine Lt. Gen. John Allen.

That's a terrific plan. I also am hearing that Petraeus, who is scheduled to testify on Capitol Hill next week, is worn out. It would be nice to give him a breather before making him chairman of the Joint Chiefs, or, smarter move, making him national security advisor, if President Obama decides he wants a real one, instead of the Hill staffers and ex-lobbyists for Fannie Mae the White House has been trotting out. (The current lineup is just Bidenism at its worst, confusing Congress with the real world. And, while I'm at it, I'm still an Obama fan, but he seriously needs to get better at talking to and listening to his military leaders, and these guys aren't helping.)

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My Comment: After fighting numerous wars since 2001, I am sure that General Petraeus must be tired and burned out. My prediction .... after a break .... he will be named Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

How Did The Wife Of General Petraeus Join The Obama Administration

David and Holly Petraeus

How Holly Petraeus Came to Join the Obama Administration -- ABC News

So how did Hollister (Holly) Knowlton Petraeus come to be named to the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, as will happen Thursday?

Petraeus first got involved with helping military families deal with financial scammers when her husband, Gen. David Petraeus, commanded the 101stAirborne Division and she saw military families suffer during deployments because scammers and predatory lenders victimized them to the point that their finances were in such disarray sometimes troops even needed to return to the base from abroad to deal with the problems.

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My Comment: It is always good to see the wives being dedicated to public service as much as their husbands .... the Petraeus family are not an exception to this rule.

U.S. Afghan Commander Gen. Petraeus Must Also Fight The War In Washington

General Petraeus

This Week At War: The Battle Of The Beltway -- Foreign Policy

Petraeus opens up a second front -- taking on his critics in Washington.

The Taliban are not the only insurgents Gen. David Petraeus must battle. The U.S. commander in Afghanistan is fighting on a second front inside the Washington Beltway, battling anonymous policymakers who seem to be waging an insurgency against his preferred war strategy. The "key terrain" of this battle is the mind of President Barack Obama. The president's looming decisions on who will fill numerous key vacancies inside the Pentagon will play a major part in who wins the war over Afghanistan policy.

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My Comment: General Petraeus has now been in the 'war spotlight' for almost 4 years. He knows .... like everyone else .... that Afghanistan is a long time (low-intensity) war commitment that will takes years (if not decades) before there is any break in the violence. Will we stay there for the duration .... I have my doubts .... and I suspect that General Petraeus also shares these same sentiments.

But for the moment .... as any good General will say .... you go to war with what you have, and with what political backing that you have back in Washington.

What Is The Relationship Between President Obama And General Petraeus

President Obama and Gen. David Petraeus appeared together at a White House press conference June 23 when it was announced that Petraeus would be taking over command of US forces in Afghanistan. Larry Downing/Reuters

Obama And Petraeus: A Wary Relationship -- Washington Post

Everyone believes the most important relationship in Washington next year will be between President Obama and House Republican Leader John Boehner. A case can be made that equally important will be the relationship between the president and his commander in Afghanistan, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus.

Bob Woodward's powerful new book, "Obama's Wars," underscores the delicacy of the relationship between Obama and Petraeus by highlighting the tensions that have long existed between the two ambitious and competitive men.

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My Comment: President Obama comes from a political history and background that is deeply suspicious of the military complex, and more importantly, the policy that has involved America in multiple wars since 9/11. General Petraeus on the other hand has a long history in knowing how to interact and communicate with politicians, and to forward the military's viewpoints when it came to important policy decisions.

Afghanistan will be the "breaking of the camel's back" on this relationship. General Petraeus .... and everyone else in the military .... knows that any preemptive move out of Afghanistan when the security situation on the ground does not warrant it will result in disaster. The White House has a different point of view .... with Presidential elections are only 2 years away, any sizeable US military presence in Afghanistan will only undermine the US President's support among his anti-war base in what is expected to be a difficult Presidential run for him.

Damn if you do .... damn if you don't .... and for President Obama he will push for a withdrawal of US forces by the end of next year. For General Petraeus .... he will be positioned to continue a war policy that he knows cannot succeed .... and what he will do then will be anyone's guess.

Why Is The US Not Producing More Generals Like General Petraeus?

U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of the International Security Assistance Force, speaks with Col. Massimo Biagini, commander of the Italian Task Force North, in Bala Morghab, Afghanistan, Aug. 2, 2010. Petraeus visited Afghan and coalition troops deployed in Qal’ah-Ye Now, Moqur and Bala Morghab in Badghis province in the Regional Command West’s area of operations. International Security Assistance Force photo

The Next Petraeus -- Boston.com

What makes a visionary commander, and why the military isn’t producing more of them.

President Obama recently demoted General David Petraeus, the man who led the turnaround in Iraq and is widely acknowledged to be the most effective military officer of his generation.

In June, the president needed a new commander to lead the war effort in Afghanistan, after General Stanley McChrystal spoke too openly with a Rolling Stone reporter and was forced to resign. And, while few may realize this, when Petraeus was appointed to take over in Afghanistan, he was replacing a subordinate. Petraeus may yet be hailed for saving the day. But he also got a new boss and moved one step down the chain of command.

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My Comment: With over a million citizens serving in the US military, you would think that there would be no problem in finding and cultivating top officers to become Generals. Apparently there is a problem .... read the whole article

Petraeus’s Assessment -- A Commentary

Although he maintained that Pakistan’s decades-old ties with Afghan insurgents “continue in various forms”, Gen Petraeus also pointed out that such links actually help intelligence-gathering. “[Y]ou have to have contact with bad guys to get intelligence on bad guys,” is how he summed it up. Photo by Reuters.

From Dawn:

Pakistan's image on Capitol Hill received a much-needed boost on Thursday. Gen David Petraeus, head of the US Central Command, told a congressional hearing that he did not fully accept the findings of a recent study which alleges that Pakistani intelligence is providing operational support to the Afghan Taliban.

Although he maintained that Pakistan’s decades-old ties with Afghan insurgents “continue in various forms”, Gen Petraeus also pointed out that such links actually help intelligence-gathering. “[Y]ou have to have contact with bad guys to get intelligence on bad guys,” is how he summed it up.

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My Comment: I understand the General's logic that your ally must keep some contact with the enemy .... but unfortunately the ISI (Pakistan's intelligence agency) is doing more than just that. Providing training, money, weapons, and direction does not instill confidence that they are operating with our interests in mind.

Positive Petraeus Lessons

President Obama and General Petraeus. Photo from The Daily Mail

From The Washington Times:

Build confidence among the population.

The essence of counterinsurgency strategy (COIN), integral to defeating Sept. 11, 2001-type extremists infecting various Middle East countries, is building confidence among the population.

The key is working hand-in-glove with the respective military and civilian authorities to help stabilize their combustible nations so they might be free of the specter of extremist violence, thereby enabling the buildup of family, community and nation, according to each culture's unique and beautiful character.

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My Comment: A good summary on the mind and tactics of General Petraeus.

Gen. Petraeus Says Taliban Is A Resilient Enemy

Taliban fighters at an undisclosed location in Ghazni Province on Saturday. Attacks by militants in eastern Afghanistan are up 40 percent this year compared with last year. (Rahmatullah Naikzad/associated press)

From AP:

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — The head of U.S. Central Command warned Friday that the thousands of American troops surging into Afghanistan's turbulent Helmand province to battle the Taliban are in for a tough fight.

Gen. David Petraeus, best known for coordinating the troop surge in Iraq that is credited with reducing that country's violence, cautioned that the Taliban are resilient fighters.

About 68,000 American troops will be on the ground in Afghanistan by this fall — double previous numbers. That's compared to about 2,700 Canadian soldiers.

"I think you have to recognize this is an enemy that is adaptable and at times is barbaric," he said. "(They) adjust to our tactics, techniques and procedures. We certainly do see it as an enemy that represents an ideology that does not tolerate those who do not think the way they do."

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My Comment: Taliban fighters have been fighting in wars since they were young. U.S. technology and tactics will win the day, but this is going to be a long long war. If we are to lose, it is because we just got fed up with the fighting.

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.

Al Qaeda's Global Base Is Pakistan, Says Petraeus

Gen. David H. Petraeus, center, near Baghdad in July. Whether to fight on is a "big, big decision, a national decision," he says. Johan Spanner for The New York Times

From The Wall Street Journal:

U.S. Central Command Chief Says Group Has Shifted Operations There, While Afghani Taliban Plan 'Surge' of Their Own

WASHINGTON -- Senior leaders of al Qaeda are using sanctuaries in Pakistan's lawless frontier regions to plan new terror attacks and funnel money, manpower and guidance to affiliates around the world, according to a top American military commander.

Gen. David Petraeus, who oversees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, said in an interview that Pakistan has become the nerve center of al Qaeda's global operations, allowing the terror group to re-establish its organizational structure and build stronger ties to al Qaeda offshoots in Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, North Africa and parts of Europe.

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My Comment: I would also add the lawless regions of Yemen and West/Sahara Africa as a gathering point for Al Qaeda allies and sympathizers.

Petraeus: Afghanistan Could Be Harder Than Iraq

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and General Petraues (Photo from World Military Forum)

From CNN:

(CNN) -- Defeating extremists and stabilizing Afghanistan and Pakistan will require a "sustained, substantial commitment," Gen. David Petraeus, the chief of U.S. Central Command, said Friday.

Afghanistan and Pakistan contain "the most pressing transnational extremist threat in the world," he told a House appropriations subcommittee, while expressing confidence that President Obama's strategy constitutes the type of commitment that is needed.

Obama last month announced a new plan for the region, calling for more U.S. troops, greater economic assistance, improved Afghan troop training and added civilian expertise.

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My Comment: It is far early to say. Both are miserable wars that will probably percolate violence for the next few decades. But considering the history of Afghanistan .... I can see his point of view. How can you attain your strategic objectives in a country that has no infrastructure. No government. No legal system (with the exception of sharia law). No economic base (with the exception of opium production). But a history of cultural intolerance and a dislike for foreigners. And oh yeah .... your political masters back in Washington do not give you the resources to accomplish your mission.

Yup .... Afghanistan is going to be a tough nut to crack.