The Man Called Petraeus Rides Again
by digby
The military has put together a game plan, set up their strategy and deployed their troops into the field. They are ready to storm with full-spectrum pressure to achieve their objective. I’m not talking about winning the war in Afghanistan, whatever that means these days. I’m talking about winning the war on the end of the war in Afghanistan.
And who do you think is leading the charge to extend the war? You guess it, The Man Called Petraeus:
With the administration unable yet to point to much tangible evidence of progress, Gen. David H. Petraeus, who assumed command in Afghanistan last month from Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, is taking several steps to emphasize hopeful signs on the ground that, he will argue, would make a rapid withdrawal unwise.
Now who could have ever predicted that the military would want more time? Or that naming Petraeus would make that approval inevitable? (We all remember what happens when you disagree with TMCP, don’t we?)
Replacing McCrystal with Petraeus was a brilliant political move by Obama if he wanted a way out of his timetable. Petraeus is the General Jesus (as opposed to Jesus’ General) and there will be no withdrawal until he’s good and ready to do it. No one would dare cross him. I suspect the Obama administration understood that very well.
.
.