Petraeus: ‘There Are Risks Beyond Iraq’

Staff / Truthdig Apr 11, 2008 Gen David Petraeus tells NBC's Brian Williams that if ordered by the president to get out of Iraq, he could: "Absolutely I firmly believe whoever it is that is elected in the fall will sit down and look at the various interests, try to figure out the competing risks, because there are risks beyond Iraq". Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Powell Salutes Obama, Worries About Wars

Staff / Truthdig Apr 11, 2008 Gen. Colin Powell won't say who will get his vote this November, but on Thursday's "Good Morning America," the former secretary of state put in a good word for all three front-runners, praised Obama's Rev. Wright speech and worried that the U.S. armed forces are becoming "very, very stretched" by the protracted wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Bush Backs Petraeus’ Pause Plan

Staff / Truthdig Apr 11, 2008 Despite some congressional resistance, it seems Gen. David Petraeus' recommended "pause" in U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq will take effect after July. On Thursday, President Bush (whose approval ratings have plummeted to a new low) essentially deferred the withdrawal issue to his successor. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Failing the Troops

Marie Cocco / Truthdig Apr 10, 2008 The same kinds of mismanagement and dysfunction that are at work in Iraq continue to plague veterans when they seek medical care at home. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Are We Closer to ?Victory??

Joe Conason / Truthdig Apr 10, 2008 Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of the American forces in Iraq, is more candid than his publicity agents. Unlike the senators and editorial writers who claim that the glorious "surge" should be hailed as one of the most successful military campaigns in history, he warns that the escalation's achievements are mixed at best. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

CNN Reporter: Iraq Update ‘Frighteningly Disappointing’

Staff / Truthdig Apr 9, 2008 The questions leveled by Senate members at Ambassador Ryan Crocker and Gen. David Petraeus during Tuesday's update session about Iraq failed to make the grade for Michael Ware, CNN's "Situation Room" correspondent. Ware declared the session "frighteningly disappointing," telling host Wolf Blitzer, "I just see a lot of oxygen being wasted here." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The Petraeus and Crocker Show

Staff / Truthdig Apr 9, 2008 Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, President Bush's preferred spokesmen for his Iraq policy, found themselves in the middle of the presidential campaign Tuesday as they testified before two Senate committees on which candidates sit. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

No Exit (Yet)

Staff / Truthdig Apr 8, 2008 Gen. David Petraeus dug in his heels during a Senate hearing Tuesday, refusing to give specifics about additional U.S. troop withdrawal plans after July, recommending a "pause" instead and taking heat from congressional opponents like Carl Levin and Hillary Clinton in the process. Meanwhile, John McCain spoke of "real hope and optimism" for Iraq's future. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.S. Troop Levels Likely to Stay Level in Iraq

Staff / Truthdig Mar 25, 2008 Americans serving in Iraq will have to wait until the next president takes office before they can expect any substantial changes in troop numbers, if Bush follows the latest recommended plan from Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Gates Ponders Delaying Iraq Drawdown

Staff / Truthdig Feb 12, 2008 Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he's considering delaying this summer's planned reduction of U.S. troops in Iraq in order to look into how the drawdown would impact security, an approach also supported by Gen. David Petraeus. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Surge Success at a Rate of $10 a Day

Staff / Truthdig Jan 9, 2008 Here's an interesting idea for dampening insurgent violence in Iraq: Pay the would-be troublemakers to temporarily join America's side and watch the surge success reports roll in. That's the tactic the U.S. military has employed with some 70,000 former insurgents, according to this NPR report. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Giuliani ‘Even More Certain’ Now About Iraq War

Staff / Truthdig Nov 28, 2007 Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani clearly shares a particular personality trait with President Bush: the kind of unassailable certainty that even evidence to the contrary can't uproot. Take his position on the Iraq war, for example, which he still believes -- even more so, now -- was the right move for the U.S. to have made. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )