David Petraeus

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David Howell Petraeus
born November 7, 1952 (1952-11-07) (age 55)
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1974–present
Rank	General
Commands held	A Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized) 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Multi-National Security Transition Command Iraq U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth Multi-National Force - Iraq
Battles/wars	Operation Joint Forge (Bosnia) Operation Uphold Democracy (Haiti) Operation Desert Spring (Kuwait) Operation Iraqi Freedom * 2003 invasion of Iraq
Awards	Defense Distinguished Service Medal Army Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit Bronze Star Defense Meritorious Service Medal

General David Howell Petraeus, USA (born November 7, 1952) is the Commanding General, Multi-National Force - Iraq (MNF-I). He was confirmed to that position by the Senate in a vote of 81–0 on January 26, 2007, and he assumed command on February 10, 2007, replacing General George Casey, who was subsequently confirmed as Chief of Staff of the United States Army. As Commander of MNF-I, Petraeus oversees all coalition forces in Iraq.^[1][2] On 23 April 2008, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced that Petraeus has been nominated as the next Commander, U.S. Central Command.^[3]

Petraeus was the General George C. Marshall Award winner as the top graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College—class of 1983.^[4] He subsequently earned a M.P.A. degree (1985) and a Ph.D. degree (1987) in International Relations from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. He later served as Assistant Professor of International Relations at the U.S. Military Academy and also completed a fellowship at Georgetown University. He has a BS from the U.S. Military Academy—class of 1974—from which he graduated as a distinguished cadet (top 5% of his class).

A poll recently conducted by Foreign Policy and Prospect magazines selected Petraeus as one of the world's top 100 public intellectuals. ^[5] And in 2007, Time named Petraeus one of the 100 most influential leaders and revolutionaries of the year as well as one of its four runners up for Time Person of the Year.^[6][7] He was also named the second most influential American conservative by The Daily Telegraph^[8] as well as The Daily Telegraph's 2007 Man of the Year^[9] and "America's most respected soldier" by Der Spiegel in 2008.^[10] In 2005, Petraeus was selected as one of America's top leaders by US News and World Report.^[11] Some news reports have alleged an interest by Petraeus in running for the United States presidency. Despite these accounts, Petraeus has categorically stated that he has no political ambitions.^{[12][13][14] [15][16][17]}

Early years

Petraeus was born in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, the son of Miriam (née Howell) and Sixtus Petraeus. His mother was American and his father was a sea captain who had emigrated to the United States from the Netherlands during the initial phase of World War II.^[18] Sixtus settled in Cornwall on Hudson, where David Petraeus grew up and graduated from Cornwall Central High School in 1970. Residents called him 'Peaches' in reference to his often-mispronounced last name^[19] and the nickname stuck with him as a cadet.^[20]

Petraeus then went on to the U.S. Military Academy in nearby West Point. Petraeus was on the intercollegiate soccer and ski teams, was a cadet captain on the brigade staff, and was a "distinguished cadet" academically, graduating in the top 5% of the Class of 1974 (ranked 43rd overall). In the class yearbook, Petraeus was remembered as "always going for it in sports, academics, leadership, and even his social life."^[21]

Two months after graduation Petraeus married Holly Knowlton, a graduate from Dickinson College and daughter of retired Army General William A. Knowlton who was superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy (West Point) at the time. They have two grown children, Anne and Stephen.

Army career

Education and academia

Petraeus graduated from West Point in 1974. He returned to the military academy in 1985, after earning the General George C. Marshall Award as the top graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College Class of 1983 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He subsequently earned a M.P.A. in 1985 and a Ph.D. in international relations in 1987 from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, and served as an Assistant Professor of International Relations at the U.S. Military Academy from 1985 to 1987. His doctoral dissertation, "The American Military and the Lessons of Vietnam: A Study of Military Influence and the Use of Force in the Post-Vietnam Era," dealt with the influence of the Vietnam War on military thinking regarding the use of force.^[22] He also completed a military fellowship at Georgetown's School of Foreign Service in 1994–1995, although he was called away early to serve in Haiti as the Chief of Operations for the UN force there in early 1995.

From late 2005 through February 2007,^[23] Petraeus served as Commanding General of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center (CAC) located there. As commander of CAC, Petraeus was responsible for oversight of the Command and General Staff College and seventeen other schools, centers, and training programs as well as for developing the Army’s doctrinal manuals, training the Army’s officers, and supervising the Army’s center for the collection and dissemination of lessons learned. During his time at CAC, Petraeus and Marine Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis jointly oversaw the publication of Field Manual 3-24, Counterinsurgency, the body of which was written by an extraordinarily diverse group of military officers, academics, human rights advocates, and journalists who had been assembled by Petraeus and Mattis.^[24][25] Additionally, at both Fort Leavenworth and throughout the military's schools and training programs, Petraeus integrated the study of counterinsurgency into lesson plans and training exercises. In recognition of the fact that soldiers in Iraq often performed duties far different than those they trained for, Petraeus also stressed the importance of teaching soldiers how to think as well as how to fight and the need to foster flexibility and adaptability in leaders.^[26][27]

Military Operations

1970s

Upon his graduation from West Point in 1974, Petraeus was commissioned an infantry officer. After attending Ranger School, from which he graduated as the Distinguished Honor Graduate and was also awarded the other two prizes given to each class of graduating Rangers, Petraeus began his career with an assignment to a light infantry unit, the 509th Airborne Battalion Combat Team at Vicenza, Italy. Ever since, light infantry has been at the core of his career, punctuated by assignments to mechanized units, unit commands, staff assignments, and educational institutions. After leaving the 509th as a first lieutenant, Petraeus began a brief association with mechanized units when he became assistant operations officer on the staff of the 2nd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) at Fort Stewart, Georgia. In 1979, he assumed command of a company in the same division: Company A, 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized), and then served as that battalion's operations officer, a major's position that he held as a junior captain. In 1988–1989, he also served as operations officer to the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized)'s 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized) and its 1st Brigade.

1980s

In 1981, Petraeus became aide-de-camp to the Commanding General of the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized).^[28] He spent the next few years furthering his military and civilian education, including spending 1982-83 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; 1983-85 at Princeton; and 1985-87 at West Point. After earning his Ph.D. and teaching at West Point, Petraeus continued up the rungs of the command ladder, serving as military assistant to Gen. John Galvin, the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. From there, he moved to the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) and then to a post as aide and assistant executive officer to the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Carl Vuono, in Washington, D.C.

1990s

Upon promotion to lieutenant colonel, Petraeus moved from the office of the Chief of Staff to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he commanded the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)'s 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment from 1991–1993. As battalion commander of the Iron Rakkasans, he suffered one of the more dramatic incidents in his career when, in 1991, he was accidentally shot in the chest during a live-fire exercise when a soldier tripped and his rifle discharged. He was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, where he was operated on by future U.S. Senator Bill Frist. The hospital released him early after he did fifty push ups without resting, just a few days after the accident.^[29][30]

During 1993–94, Petraeus continued his long association with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) as the division's Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3 (plans, operations and training) and installation Director of Plans, Training, and Mobilization (DPTM). In 1995, he was assigned to the United Nations Mission in Haiti Military Staff as its Chief Operations Officer during Operation Uphold Democracy. His next command, from 1995–97, was the 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, centered on the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. At that post, his brigade's training cycle at Fort Polk's Joint Readiness Training Center for low-intensity warfare was chronicled by novelist and military enthusiast Tom Clancy in his book Airborne. From 1997-99 Petraeus served in the Pentagon as Executive Assistant to the Director of the Joint Staff and then to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Henry Shelton, who described Petraeus as "a high-energy individual who likes to lead from the front, in any field he is going into."^[31] In 1999, as a brigadier general, Petraeus returned to the 82nd, serving as the assistant division commander for operations and then, briefly, as acting commanding general. During his time with the 82nd, he deployed to Kuwait as part of Operation Desert Spring, the continuous rotation of combat forces through Kuwait during the decade after the Gulf War.

2000s

Camp New Jersey, Kuwait (March 21, 2003)—Major General David H. Petraeus (right), commanding general, 101st Airborne Division, (Air Assault) looks on as Lieutenant General William S. Wallace, V Corps commanding general speaks to soldiers.

From the 82nd, he moved on to serve as Chief of Staff of XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg during 2000–2001. In 2000, Petraeus suffered his second major injury, when, during a civilian skydiving jump, his parachute collapsed at low altitude due to a hook turn, resulting in a hard landing that broke his pelvis. He was selected for promotion to Major General in 2001.^[32] During 2001–2002, as a brigadier general, Petraeus served a ten-month tour in Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of Operation Joint Forge. In Bosnia, he was the NATO Stabilization Force Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations as well as the Deputy Commander of the U.S. Joint Interagency Counter-Terrorism Task Force, a command created after the September 11 attacks to add a counterterrorism capability to the U.S. forces attached to the NATO command in Bosnia. In 2004, he was promoted to Lieutenant General.^[33] In 2007, he was promoted to General.^[34] On April 23, 2008, Secretary of Defense Gates announced that President Bush was nominating General Petraeus to command U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), headquartered in Tampa, FL. This nomination requires Senate confirmation.^[35]

Involvement in the Iraq War

101st Airborne Division

In 2003, Petraeus, then a Major General, saw combat for the first time when he commanded the 101st Airborne Division during V Corps's drive to Baghdad. In a campaign chronicled in detail by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Rick Atkinson of The Washington Post in the book In the Company of Soldiers, Petraeus led his division through fierce fighting south of Baghdad, in Karbala, Hilla, and Najaf. Following the fall of Baghdad, the division conducted the longest heliborne assault on record in order to reach Ninawa Province, where it would spend much of 2003. The 1st Brigade was responsible for the area south of Mosul, the 2nd Brigade for the city itself, and the 3rd Brigade for the region stretching toward the Syrian border. An often-repeated story of Petraeus's time with the 101st is his asking of embedded Washington Post reporter Rick Atkinson to "Tell me how this ends,"^[36] an anecdote he and other journalists have used to portray Petraeus as an early recognizer of the difficulties that would follow the fall of Baghdad.^{[37][38][39][40][41][42]}

Maj. Gen. David H. Petraeus, commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division; Ghanim Al-Baso, interim mayor of Mosul and the Nineveh province; Turkey Hazaa'a, chief of the Mosul customs office; and Sheike Fenar Ahmad Sfwok, sheikh of the Al-Shammari tribe and government of Rabin sign an agreement to reopen the Rabia border crossing with Syria, May 13, 2003.

In Mosul, a city of nearly two million people, Petraeus and the 101st employed classic counterinsurgency methods to build security and stability, including conducting targeted kinetic operations and using force judiciously, jump-starting the economy, building local security forces, staging elections for the city council within weeks of their arrival, overseeing a program of public works, reinvigorating the political process, ^[43][44][45] and launching 4,500 reconstruction projects.^[46] This approach can be attributed to Petraeus, who had been steeped in nation-building during his previous tours in places like Bosnia and Haiti and thus approached nation-building as a central military mission and who was "prepared to act while the civilian authority in Baghdad was still getting organized," according to Michael Gordon of The New York Times.^[47] Some Iraqis gave Petraeus the nickname 'King David',^[48][49] which was later adopted by some of his colleagues.^[50][51][52] Newsweek has stated that "It's widely accepted that no force worked harder to win Iraqi hearts and minds than the 101st Air Assault Division led by Petraeus."^[53]

One of the General's major public works was the restoration and re-opening of the University of Mosul.^[54][55][56] Petraeus strongly supported the use of commanders' discretionary funds for public works, telling Coalition Provisional Authority director L. Paul Bremer "Money is ammunition" during the director's first visit to Mosul.^[57][58] Petraeus' often repeated^{[59][60][61][62]} catchphrase^[63] was later incorporated into official military briefings^[64][65] and was also eventually incorporated into the U.S. Army Counterinsurgency Field Manual drafted with Petraeus's oversight.^[66]

In February 2004, the 101st was replaced in Mosul by a unit roughly one quarter its size - a Stryker brigade. The following summer, the Governor of Nineveh Province was assassinated and most of the Sunni Arab Provincial Council members walked out in the ensuing selection of the new governor, leaving Kurdish members in charge of a predominantly Sunni Arab province. Later that year, the local police commander defected to the Kurdish Minister of Interior in Irbil after repeated assasination attempts against him, attacks on his house, and the kidnapping of his sister. The largely Sunni Arab police collapsed under insurgent attacks launched at the same time Coalition Forces attacked Fallujah in November 2004.

There are differing explanations for the apparent collapse of the police force in Mosul. The Guardian quoted an anonymous US diplomat saying "Mosul basically collapsed after he [Petraeus] left".^[67] Former diplomat Peter Galbraith, a paid adviser to the Kurdish Regional Government^[68], criticized Petraeus's command of the 101st, saying his achievements have been exaggerated and his reputation is inflated.^[69] He wrote for The New York Review of Books that "Petraeus ignored warnings from America's Kurdish allies that he was appointing the wrong people to key positions in Mosul's local government and police."^[70] On the other hand, in the book Fiasco, Washington Post reporter Tom Ricks wrote that "Mosul was quiet while he (Petraeus) was there, and likely would have remained so had his successor had as many troops as he had--and as much understanding of counterinsurgency techniques." Ricks went on to note that "the population-oriented approach Petraeus took in Mosul in 2003 would be the one the entire U.S. Army in Iraq was trying to adopt in 2006."^[71] Time columnist Joe Klein largely agreed with Ricks, writing that the Stryker brigade that replaced the 101st "didn't do any of the local governance that Petraeus had done." Moving away from counterinsurgency principles, "they were occupiers, not builders."^[72] New York Times reporter Michael Gordon and retired General Bernard Trainor echoed Ricks and Klein, including in their book Cobra II a quote that Petraeus "did it right and won over Mosul."^[73]

Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq

Iraqi Armed Forces Chief Gen. Babakir (left) and U.S. Army Lt. Gen. David Petraeus (center) speak with the commander of the Iraqi 2nd Division at Al Kidni in Mosul, Iraq.

In June 2004, less than six months after the 101st returned to the U.S., Petraeus was promoted to lieutenant general and became the first commander of the Multi-National Security Transition Command Iraq. This newly-created command had responsibility for training, equipping, and mentoring Iraq's growing Army, Police, and other security forces as well as developing Iraq's security institutions and building associated infrastructure, such as training bases, police stations, and border forts. During Petraeus's fifteen months at the helm of MNSTC-I, he stood up a three-star command virtually from scratch and in the midst of serious fighting in places like Fallujah, Mosul, and Najaf. By the end of his command, some 100,000 Iraqi Security Forces had been trained; Iraqi Army and Police were being employed in combat; countless reconstruction projects had been executed; and hundreds of thousands of weapons, body armor, and other equipment had been distributed in what was described as the "largest military procurement and distribution effort since World War II," at a cost of over $11 billion.^[74]

In September 2004, Petraeus wrote an article for The Washington Post in which he described the tangible progress being made in building Iraq's security forces from the ground up while also noting the many challenges associated with doing so. "Although there have been reverses -- not to mention horrific terrorist attacks," Petraeus wrote, "there has been progress in the effort to enable Iraqis to shoulder more of the load for their own security, something they are keen to do." ^[75] Some of the challenges involved in building security forces had to do with accomplishing this task in the midst of a tough insurgency -- or, as Petraeus wrote, "making the mission akin to repairing an aircraft while in flight -- and while being shot at." Other challenges included allegations of corruption as well as efforts to improve Iraq's supply accountability procedures. For example, according to former Interim Iraq Governing Council member Ali A. Allawi in The Occupation of Iraq: Winning the War, Losing the Peace, "under the very noses of the security transition command, officials both inside and outside the ministry of defense were planning to embezzle most, if not all, of the procurement budget of the army."^[76] The Washington Post stated in August 2007 that the Pentagon had lost track of approximately 30% of weapons supplied to the Iraqi security forces. The General Accounting Office said that the weapons distribution was haphazard, rushed, and did not follow established procedures-- particularly from 2004 to 2005, when security training was led by Petraeus and Iraq's security forces began to see combat in places like Najaf and Samarra.^[77][78] Over a hundred thousand AK-47 assault rifles and pistols were delivered to Iraqi forces without full documentation, and some of the missing weapons may have been abducted by Iraqi insurgents.^[79][80] Thousands of body armour pieces have also been lost.^[81] The Independent has stated that the military believed "the situation on the ground was so urgent, and the agency responsible for recording the transfers of arms so short staffed, that field commanders had little choice in the matter."^[82] The Pentagon conducted its own investigation, and accountability was subsequently regained for many of the weapons.^[83]

Following his second tour in Iraq, Petraeus authored a widely-read article in Military Review, listing fourteen observations he had made during two tours in Iraq, including: do not do too much with your own hands, money is ammunition, increasing the number of stakeholders is critical to success, success in a counterinsurgency requires more than just military operations, ultimate success depends on local leaders, there is no substitute for flexible and adaptable leaders, and, finally, a leader's most important task is to set the right tone.^[84]

Multi-National Force - Iraq (Spring 2007)

The commanding general of the 9th Iraqi Army Division, right, speaks with a journalist from the Al-Arabiyah news channel, left, as they walk with General David Petraeus, center, through the Al Shurja market in the Rusafa area of East Baghdad, March 11, 2007.

General Petraeus discusses issues with an Iraqi Army commander while on a subsequent foot tour of the Rusafa area of Baghdad, June 14, 2007.

U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus jokes with an Iraqi man over a cup of chai at a small cafe near the Al Saray book market June 14, 2007. The market area was hit by a car bomb a few months earlier.

In January 2007, as part of his overhauled Iraq strategy, President George W. Bush announced that Petraeus would succeed Gen. George Casey as commanding general of MNF-I to lead all U.S. troops in Iraq. On January 23, the Senate Armed Services Committee held Petraeus's nomination hearing, during which he testified on his ideas for Iraq, particularly the strategy underpinning the "surge" of forces. During his opening statement, Petraeus stated that "security of the population, especially in Baghdad, and in partnership with the Iraqi Security Forces, will be the focus of the military effort." He went on to state that security will require establishing a persistent presence, especially in Iraq's most threatened neighborhoods. He also noted the critical importance of helping Iraq increase its governmental capacity, develop employment programs, and improve daily life for its citizens.^[85]

Throughout Petraeus's tenure in Iraq, Multi-National Force-Iraq has endeavored to work with the Government of Iraq to carry out this strategy that focuses on securing the population. Doing so has required establishing -- and maintaining -- this persistent presence by living among the population, separating reconcilable Iraqis from irreconcilable enemies, relentlessly pursuing the enemy, taking back sanctuaries and then holding areas that have been cleared, and continuing to develop Iraq's security forces and to support local security forces, often called Sons of Iraq, and to integrate them into the Iraqi Army and Police and other employment programs.^[86][87][88]

The strategy underpinning the "surge" of forces, as well as the ideas Petraeus included in FM 3-24, have been referred to by some journalists and politicians as the "Petraeus Doctrine," although the surge itself was proposed a few months before Petraeus took command. Despite the misgivings of most Democratic and a few Republican senators over the proposed implementation of the "Petraeus Doctrine" in Iraq, specifically regarding the troop surge, Petraeus was unanimously confirmed as a four-star general and MNF-I commander on January 27.^[89][90]

Before leaving for Iraq, Petraeus recruited a number of highly educated military officers, nicknamed "Petraeus guys" or "designated thinkers," to advise him as commander, including Col. Mike Meese, head of the Social Sciences Department at West Point and Col. H.R. McMaster, famous for his leadership at the Battle of 73 Easting in the Gulf War and in the pacification of Tal Afar more recently, as well as for his doctoral dissertation on Vietnam-era civil-military relations entitled Dereliction of Duty. While most of Petraeus's closest advisers are American military officers, he also hired Lt. Col. David Kilcullen of the Australian Army, who was working for the US State Department.^[91]

Since taking command of MNF-I on February 10, 2007, Petraeus has inspected U.S. and Iraqi units all over Iraq, visiting outposts in greater Baghdad, Tikrit, Baquba, Ramadi, Mosul, Kirkuk, Bayji, Samarra, Basrah and as far west as al-Hit and Al Qaim. In April 2007, Petraeus made his first visit to Washington as MNF-I Commander, reporting to President Bush and Congress on the progress of the "surge" and the overall situation in Iraq. During this visit he met privately with members of Congress and reportedly argued against setting a timetable for U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq.^[92]

By late May 2007, Congress did not impose any timetables in war funding legislation for troop withdrawal.^[93] The enacted legislation did mandate that Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, deliver a report to Congress by September 15, 2007, detailing their assessment of the military, economic and political situation of Iraq.

In June 2007, Petraeus stated in an interview that there were “astonishing signs of normalcy” in Baghdad, and this comment drew criticism from Senate majority leader Harry Reid. In the same interview, however, Petraeus stated that "many problems remain" and he noted the need to help the Iraqis "stitch back together the fabric of society that was torn during the height of sectarian violence" in late 2006.^[94][95] Petraeus also warned that he expected that the situation in Iraq will require the continued deployment of the elevated troop level of more than 150,000 beyond September 2007; he also has stated that U.S. involvement in Iraq could last years afterward.^[96] These statements are representative of the fact that throughout their time in Iraq, Petraeus and Crocker have remained circumspect and refused to classify themselves as optimists or pessimists, noting, instead, that they are realists and that the reality in Iraq is very hard. They have also repeatedly emphasized the importance of forthright reports and an unvarnished approach.^[97][98]

Multi-National Force - Iraq (Summer and Fall 2007)

General Petraeus briefs reporters at the Pentagon April 26, 2007, on his view of the current military situation in Iraq.

A controversial full-page political advertisement by Moveon.org in the September 10, 2007 edition of The New York Times

In July 2007, the White House submitted to Congress the interim report on Iraq, which stated that coalition forces had made satisfactory progress on 6 of 18 benchmarks set by Congress. On September 7, 2007, in a letter addressed to the troops he was commanding, Petraeus wrote that much military progress had been made, but that the national level political progress that was hoped for had not been achieved.^[99] Petraeus' final report on Iraq was delivered to Congress on September 10, 2007.

On August 15, 2007, The Los Angeles Times stated that, according to unnamed administration officials, the report "would actually be written by the White House, with inputs from officials throughout the government."^[100] However, Petraeus declared in his testimony to Congress that "I wrote this testimony myself." He further elaborated that his testimony to Congress "has not been cleared by, nor shared with, anyone in the Pentagon, the White House, or Congress."^[101][102]

In his September Congressional testimony, Petraeus stated that "As a bottom line up front, the military objectives of the surge are, in large measure, being met." He cited numerous factors for this progress, to include the fact that Coalition and Iraqi Forces had dealt significant blows to Al-Qaeda Iraq and had disrupted Shia militias, that ethno-sectarian violence had been reduced, and that the tribal rejection of Al-Qaeda had spread from Anbar Province to numerous other locations across Iraq. Based on this progress and additional progress expected to be achieved, Petraeus recommended drawing down the surge forces from Iraq and gradually transitioning increased responsibilities to Iraqi Forces, as their capabilities and conditions on the ground permitted.^[103]

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada argued Petraeus' "plan is just more of the same" and "is neither a drawdown or a change in mission that we need." Democratic Representative Robert Wexler of Florida accused Petraeus of "cherry-picking statistics" and "massaging information".^[104] Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Tom Lantos of California called the General and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker "Two of our nation's most capable public servants" and said Democrats feel "esteem for their professionalism." He also said that "We can no longer take their assertions on Iraq at face value"; concluding, "We need to get out of Iraq, for that country's sake as well as our own."^[105]

Republican Presidential candidate Duncan Hunter called the report "a candid, independent assessment given with integrity".^[106] Republican Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona stated that "I commend General Petraeus for his honest and forthright assessment of the situation in Iraq."^[107] Anti-war Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska criticized the report while praising Petraeus, saying "It's not your fault, general... It's not Ambassador Crocker's fault. It's this administration's fault."^[108] A USA Today/Gallup poll taken after Petraeus' report to Congress showed virtually no change in public opinion toward the war.^[109] A Pew Research Center survey found that most Americans who have heard about the report approve of Petraeus' recommendations.^[110]

On September 20, the Senate passed an amendment by Republican John Cornyn III of Texas designed to "strongly condemn personal attacks on the honor and integrity of General Petraeus". Cornyn drafted the amendment in response to a controversial full-page ad by the liberal group Moveon.org in the September 10, 2007 edition of The New York Times. All forty-nine Republican Senators and twenty-two Democratic Senators voted in support.^[111] The House passed a similar resolution by a 341-79 vote on September 26.^[112]

In December 2007, The Washington Post's "Fact Checker" stated that "While some of Petraeus's statistics are open to challenge, his claims about a general reduction in violence have been borne out over subsequent months. It now looks as if Petraeus was broadly right on this issue at least".^[113]

Based on the conditions on the ground, in October 2007, Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker revised their campaign plan for Iraq. In recognition of the progress made against Al Qaeda Iraq, one of the major points will be "shifting the U.S. military effort to focus more on countering Shiite militias".^[114]

Multi-National Force - Iraq (Spring 2008)

General Petraeus stops at a soccer field to meet coaches and players while on a foot patrol through a Baghdad neighborhood Feb. 12, 2008.

On February 18, 2008, USA Today stated that "the U.S. effort has shown more success" and that, after the number of troops reached its peak in fall 2007, "U.S. deaths were at their lowest levels since the 2003 invasion, civilian casualties were down, and street life was resuming in Baghdad."^[115] In light of the significant reduction in violence and as the surge brigrades began to redeploy without replacement, Petraeus characterized the progress as tenuous, fragile, and reversible and repeatedly reminded all involved that much work remains to be done.^[116][117] During an early February trip to Iraq, Defense Secretary Robert Gates endorsed the idea of a period of consolidation and evaluation upon completion of the withdrawal of surge brigades from Iraq.^[118]

Petraeus and Crocker continued these themes at their two full days of testimony before Congress on April 8th and 9th. During his opening statement, Petraeus stated that "there has been significant but uneven security progress in Iraq," while also noting that "the situation in certain areas is still unsatisfactory and that innumerable challenges remain" and that "the progress made since last spring is fragile and reversible." He also recommended a continuation of the drawdown of surge forces as well as a 45-day period of consolidation and evaluation after the final surge brigade has redeployed in late July.^[119] Analysts for USA Today and The New York Times stated that the hearings "lacked the suspense of last September's debate," but they did include sharp questioning as well as both skepticism and praise from various Congressional leaders.^[120][121]

In late May 2008, the Senate Armed Services Committee held nomination hearings for Petraeus and Lieutenant General Ray Odierno to lead United States Central Command and Multi-National Force-Iraq, respectively. During the hearings, Committee Chairman Carl Levin praised these two men, stating that "we owe Gen. Petraeus and Gen. Odierno a debt of gratitude for the commitment, determination and strength that they brought to their areas of responsibility. And regardless of how long the administration may choose to remain engaged in the strife in that country, our troops are better off with the leadership these two distinguished soldiers provide." ^[122] During his opening statement, Petraeus discussed four principles that would guide his efforts if confirmed as CENTCOM Commander: seeking to strengthen international partnerships; taking a "whole of government" approach; pursuing comprehensive efforts and solutions; and, finally, both supporting efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan and ensuring readiness for possible contingency operations in the future. Petraeus also noted that during the week before his testimony, the number of security incidents in Iraq was the lowest in over four years.^[123] Since Petraeus's return to Baghdad, and despite the continued drawdown of surge forces as well as recent Iraqi-led operations in places like Basrah, Mosul, and Baghdad, the number of security incidents in Iraq have remained at their lowest level in over four years.^[124]

Decorations and badges

U.S. military decorations Defense Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster) Defense Superior Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster) Legion of Merit (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters) Bronze Star (with “V” Device) Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters) Joint Service Commendation Medal Army Commendation Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters) Joint Service Achievement Medal Army Achievement Medal U.S. unit awards Joint Meritorious Unit Award (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters) Army Meritorious Unit Commendation Army Superior Unit Award U.S. non-military decorations State Department Superior Honor Award U.S. service (campaign) medals and service and training ribbons National Defense Service Medal (with 2 Service Stars) Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Iraq Campaign Medal Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Armed Forces Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal Army Service Ribbon Army Overseas Service Ribbon (with award numeral "2")

U.S. badges, patches and tabs Combat Action Badge Expert Infantryman Badge Parachutist Badge (United States) Air Assault Badge Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge Army Staff Identification Badge Ranger Tab Multi-National Force - Iraq Patch worn as his Current Unit of Assignment (left arm) Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (US Army) 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Patch worn as his Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (US Army)-Former War Time Service (SSI-FWTS).

Non-U.S. service medals and ribbons

• United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) Medal^[125]
• NATO Meritorious Service Medal
• NATO Medal for Yugoslavia

Foreign military decorations

• Médaille Commémorative Française (France)
• Gold Award of the Iraqi Order of the Date Palm (Iraq)

Foreign badges, patches and tabs

• British Parachutist Badge
• French Parachutist Badge
• German Parachutist Badge

Bibliography

• Lorenz, G.C.; Willbanks, James H.; Petraeus, David H.; Stuart, Paul A.; Crittenden, Burr L. & George, Dewey P. (1983), Operation Junction City, Vietnam 1967 : battle book, Ft. Leavenworth, KS: U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Combat Studies Institute, DTIC ADA139612, LCC DS557.7 .O63 1987, OCLC 15637627 
• Petraeus, David H. (1985), “Review of Richard A. Gabriel's The Antagonists: A Comparative Combat Assessment of the Soviet and American Soldier”, Military Affairs (Lexington, VA: Society for Military History) 49 (1): 17–22, January 1985, LCC E181 .A5 v.49 1985, ISSN 00263931, OCLC 37032240, DOI 10.2307/1988272 
• Petraeus, David H. (1987), The American military and the lessons of Vietnam : a study of military influence and the use of force in the post-Vietnam era, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University, OCLC 20673428 .
• Taylor, William J., Jr. & Petraeus, David H. (1987), “The legacy of Vietnam for the U.S. military”, in Osborn, George K., Democracy, strategy, and Vietnam : implications for American policymaking, Lexington, MA: Lexington Books, LCC E876 .D46 1987, ISBN 9780669163407, OCLC 15518468 
• Petraeus, David H. (1987), “Korea, the Never-Again Club, and Indochina”, Parameters (Carlisle, PA: U.S. Army War College) 17 (4): 59–70, December 1987, SuDoc No. D 101.72:17/4, GPO Item No. 0325-K, PURL LPS1511, ISSN 0031-1723, OCLC 1039883 .
• Petraeus, David H. (1989), “Military Influence And the Post-Vietnam Use of Force”, Armed Forces & Society (Piscataway, NJ: SAGE Publications) 15 (4): 489–505, Summer 1989, ISSN 0095-327X, OCLC 49621350, doi:10.1177/0095327X8901500402, <http://afs.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/15/4/489>. Retrieved on 26 August 2007 .
• Petraeus, David H.; Carr, Damian P. & Abercrombie, John C. (1997), “Why We Need FISTs—Never Send a Man When You Can Send a Bullet”, Field Artillery (Fort Sill, OK: US Army Field Artillery School) 1997 (3): 3–5, May-June 1997, HQDA PB6-97-3, USPS 309-010, PURL LPS13201, SuDoc No. D 101.77/2: 1997/3, ISSN 0899-2525, OCLC 16516511, <http://sill-www.army.mil/FAMAG/1997/MAY_JUN_1997/MAY_JUN_1997_PAGES_3_5.pdf>. Retrieved on 26 August 2007 .
• (2004) "Lessons of the Iraq War and Its Aftermath" (summary of remarks)
• (2006) "Learning Counterinsurgency: Observations from Soldiering in Iraq," Military Review
• (2007) The US Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual (introduction)
• (2007) "Beyond the Cloister," The American Interest Magazine

See also

• MoveOn.org ad controversy
• Operation Iraqi Freedom
• Initial Benchmark Assessment Report
• Report to Congress on the Situation in Iraq
• Multi-National Force - Iraq
• Iraq War troop surge of 2007

Notes and references

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

David H. Petraeus

Wikisource has original works written by or about:

David H. Petraeus

• Official Army biography
• Charlie Rose TV program: An hour with General David Petraeus Google Video of program taped 2007-04-26
• Profile by The New York Times
• Graduate Alumni profile Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
• "In Company of Soldiers" (March 15, 2004) by Rick Atkinson
• "101st Airborne Scores Success in Reconstruction of Northern Iraq" (September 4, 2003) by Michael R. Gordon, The New York Times
• "The Story of O" (April 4, 2004) written by Christopher Dickey, The New York Times
• "An Open Mind For A New Army" (October 31, 2005) by Julian E. Barnes,U.S. News & World Report
• "Bush To Name A New General To Oversee Iraq" (January 5, 2006) by Michael R. Gordon, The New York Times
• "Our Man in Iraq" (October 26, 2006) by Wesley Morgan, The Daily Princetonian
• "FM 3-24 New Army/Marine Counterinsurgency Manual, (December, 2006), Forward written by LTG David Petraeus
• "Leader of the Fabled 101st to Command in Iraq" (January 5, 2007) by Tom Bowman, NPR
• "Iraq Will be Petraeus' Knot to Untie" (January 6, 2007) by Rick Atkinson, The Washington Post
• "Petraeus Takes Reins in Iraq" (January 10, 2007) by Wesley Morgan, The Daily Princetonian
• "Petraeus Faces Tough Road in Iraq (January 12, 2007) by Wesley Morgan, The Daily Princetonian
• "Petraeus on Vietnam's Legacy" (January 14, 2007) by Rachel Dry, The Washington Post—excerpts Petraeus' doctoral dissertation, "The American Military and the Lessons of Vietnam."
• "Senate confirms new top general for Iraq" (January 26, 2007) Associated Press, CNN
• "David and Goliath, and Petraeus" (January 28, 2007) by Steven Alvarez, The Orlando Sentinel
• "US Iraq chief warns of long war" (July 9, 2007) BBC News
• "Scions of the Surge" (March 24, 2008) Newsweek