Petraeus: Obama "wants my best professional military advice"...which might be staying in Afghanistan

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Petraeus reserves right to advise against Afghan withdrawal



WASHINGTON (AFP) – Afghan war commander General David Petraeus reserved the right Sunday to tell President Barack Obama it is too early to start withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan in July 2011.

Asked in an interview with NBC'S "Meet the Press" whether he could make an assessment in July next year that it is not the right time to start the planned limited pullout, Petraeus said: "Certainly, yeah."

"The president and I sat down in the Oval Office and he expressed very clearly that what he wants from me is my best professional military advice," he said.

Petraeus's comments come as US public support for the war and Obama's handling of it are at an all-time low with the death toll for US troops hitting a record high in July of 66.

US reinforcements are trying to drive back Taliban insurgents in the south with the last units of a 30,000-strong surge of troops due to swell American numbers to 100,000 in the coming weeks.

Obama has been criticized for saying some US troops will come home in mid-2011, with opponents accusing him of letting the Taliban insurgents think America is not in the fight for the long-term and choosing to wait it out.

Petraeus pointed out that Obama had also deployed far more troops to Afghanistan and said the real point of giving the date was to step up pressure for progress in the US and Afghan effort.

"Let me point out one other item about July 2011 if I could, because what I had often noted was that in the speech the president made at West Point there were two messages," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100815/wl_sthasia_afp/afghanistanunrestusmilitarypolitics

[steve2470]

1. Ok this really pisses me off.... Obama needs to change this NOW nt

[Forkboy]

2. Afghanistan is going to be an election issue...in 2016.