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Ear to the Ground

Petraeus Takes Charge

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Posted on Jun 30, 2010
Petraeus
Wikimedia Commons / U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Lorie L. Jewell

Here we have a man whose job nobody should envy: Gen. David Petraeus was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday to take over the top U.S. command post in Afghanistan—you know, the country that gave even Alexander the Great some major military headaches.

Petraeus assumes his new position following an especially bloody month for international troops fighting in Afghanistan, according to CNN.

AP via Google News:

The Senate on Wednesday unanimously confirmed Gen. David Petraeus as the new commander of the Afghanistan war, and President Barack Obama swiftly issued a statement saying Petraeus had his “full confidence.”

Petraeus replaces Gen. Stanley McChrystal, whose three-decade career ended in disgrace because of inflammatory remarks he and his aides made to Rolling Stone magazine.

“Gen. Petraeus is a pivotal part of our effort to succeed in Afghanistan — and in our broader effort to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al-Qaida — and he has my full confidence,” Obama said in a statement shortly after the Senate’s 99-0 vote.

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skulz fontaine's avatar

By skulz fontaine, July 1, 2010 at 11:22 am Link to this comment

Wow, Gen. Praetorian Petraeus ain’t wearin’ any clothes.

“Hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue.”... François de La Rochefoucauld

Report this

By samosamo, June 30, 2010 at 2:22 pm Link to this comment

****************

 

This is nuts and an absolute declaration that there isn’t a real
senator in the senate, instead just give him carte blanche. And
all because we HAVE to succeed in Afghanistan? Excuse me,
Senator Marie Cantwell just did not vote, most likely out of
protest. So just what in the hell do these senators think the are
doing, saving america? Yeah boy, I can really believe that. 99
traitors to the u.s.a. and sad to say it includes the few senators
that I thought highly of as being in the best interests of this
country. Time will really tell about this action.

It also proves the people of this country can’t overcome this
‘ownership’ of america by the micc.

Report this

By gerard, June 30, 2010 at 2:12 pm Link to this comment

According to t his article, at the same time that Petreus is going to decrease civilian deaths he is going to remove previous restrictions made in order to prevent civilian deaths.

We can swallow this kind of contradictory double-talk.  How come we can’t just declare “victory” (even though it may be “defeat”) and bring the kids home alive?

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By the worm, June 30, 2010 at 1:05 pm Link to this comment

So, let’s see. The ‘plan’ (and the actual) in Iraq was to bribe insurgents, then call
them the patriotic ‘Sons of Iraq’.

Are we looking forward to an increase in Afghan bribes and the ‘growth’ of the
patriotic ‘Sons of Afghanistan’.

Wow ! That is some deep think. After their hearts and minds, eh.

The quickest way to an Afghan’s heart is through his pocket book.

Some innovative policy !

Great.

So, when can we get out of there?

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A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.
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