No guarantees for Iraq plan, says general in charge

[spindrifter]

The Times January 24, 2007

Tim Reid

The US general in charge of President Bush’s new war plan said yesterday that the situation in Iraq was so dire that he could not guarantee that it would succeed.

Lieutenant-General David Petraeus also said that the past year’s violence in Iraq had raised the prospect of a “failed state” dominated by sectarian militia, international terrorists, Sunni insurgents and interference from neighbouring countries.

Facing a deeply sceptical Senate Armed Services Committee, General Petraeus was blunt in his assessment of Mr Bush’s plan to send an additional 21,500 US troops to Iraq. “The situation in Iraq is dire. The stakes are high. There are no easy choices. The way ahead will be very hard. But hard is not hopeless.”

General Petraeus, who is about to embark on his third tour to Iraq, co-authored the US military’s manual on counter-insurgency and is considered to be perhaps the only US military official with the intellect and experience to save Iraq from its slide into chaos.

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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2563301,00.html

[teryang]

1. new standard for military effectiveness- "not hopeless"

This is an outrage. Not hopeless is what you tell comrades when defending against an overwhelming assualt and you have no alternative.

This war is an elective overseas adventure aimed at creating a series of colonial regimes. It has failed totally. Time to use another approach. Black bag, covert ops, military aid, trainng, finances, etc. US Armed Forces not required. Pick a horse and back it. Use the Saudis, they already volunteered. Without our presence let the factions fight it out and reach a political accomodation.

There is a reason to have intel agencies, special operations, etc. This is it.

[spindrifter]

2. How long before the General "retires"?