Petraeus Cons Obama on Afghan War - By Ray McGovern

[kpete]

Petraeus Cons Obama on Afghan War

By Ray McGovern
September 24, 2010

One thing that comes through clearly in Bob Woodward’s new book, Obama’s Wars, is the contempt felt by Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, toward President Barack Obama.


One of Woodward’s more telling vignettes has Petraeus, after quaffing a glass of wine during a flight in May, telling some of his staff that the administration was “(expletive) with the wrong guy.”

No need to divine precisely what may be the “expletive deleted.” Petraeus’s Douglas-MacArthur-style contempt for the commander-in-chief comes through clearly enough. But Obama is no Harry Truman, facing down a popular general who may fancy himself a future president.

Pity poor Obama. Journalists favored with an advance peek at Woodward’s new book, like Peter Baker of the New York Times, report that Obama last year pressed his advisers to come up with ways to avoid a major escalation in Afghanistan.

Baker notes that at one meeting the President “implored” them. “I want an exit strategy,” Obama said.

more:
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2010/092410a.html

[sendero]

1. Conned on the war, conned on the economy...

.... I thought Obama was really smart.

[Kolesar]

2. see

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4551893

[Kolesar]

3. it falls apart here

Obama’s critics are right about one thing. Setting that kind of deadline was worse than feckless from a military point of view — for reasons that have been adduced time and time again.

INSULTING:

“The only meaningful way to halt the insurgency’s momentum is to start withdrawing troops. The presence of foreign troops is the most important element driving the resurgence of the Taliban.”

Obama is smart enough to know that, but he lacks the courage of his convictions. Teaching law or speed-reading a teleprompter does not a president make.