General Petraeus at Heritage
October 8, 2008
The bottom line in Iraq is that U.S. forces made substantial progress, the progress is still fragile and reversible, but much less fragile than in May, said General David Petraeus at Heritage today. General Petreaus is the architect of the successful surge in Iraq and the soon-to-be commander of U.S. Central Command.
He discussed the military’s comprehensive strategy for building widespread security and order in Iraq.
The Iraqis are investing their money into their infrastructure, he said; as well as contracting with major U.S. businesses to stimulate economic growth. Furthermore, efforts to instill political unity through reconciliation have started to pay off.
In June 2007, before the surge, there were 180 counterinsurgent attacks per day in Iraq. Today, there are less than 25. This statistic is demonstrative of the surge’s overall success and the remarkable leadership of General Petraeus.
After receiving extended welcome applause, General Petraeus insisted he accept the show of respect only on behalf or his Iraq veterans who he called “The New Greatest Generation.”
Allison Auditorium was packed with Heritage members and guests and members of the press for the General’s brief on the state of Iraq. Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was in attendance.
Plus: he made good jokes and moved at a good pace. Minus: he used lots of boozy political and military jargon (which made me wonder what he talks like when he is not on show).
You can watch the speech online.
