This piece was reprinted by OpEd News with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.
At least, he got the loss-of-life part right. Around 1,000 U.S. troops died during the "surge" along with many more Iraqis. But Bush, Cheney, Petraeus, and Gates apparently deemed that cost a small price to pay for enabling them to blame a successor administration for the inevitable withdrawal from America's failed war of aggression.
The gambit worked especially well for Gates and Petraeus. Amid glowing mainstream media press clippings about the "successful surge" and "victory at last" in Iraq, Gates was hailed as a new "wise man" and Petraeus was the military genius who pulled victory from the jaws of defeat. Their reputations were such that President Obama concluded that he had no choice but to keep them on, Gates as Defense Secretary and Petraeus as Obama's top general in the Middle East.
Petraeus then oversaw the "surge" in Afghanistan and landed the job of CIA director, where Petraeus reportedly played a major role in arming up the Syrian rebels in pursuit of another "regime change," this time in Syria.
Although Petraeus's CIA tenure ended in disgrace in November 2012 when his dangerous liaison with Paula Broadwell was disclosed, his many allies in Official Washington's powerful neocon community are now pushing him on President-elect Trump as the man to serve as Secretary of State.
Petraeus is known as a master of flattery, something that seemingly can turn Trump's head. But the President-elect should have learned from his days hosting "The Celebrity Apprentice" that the winning contender should not be the one most adept at sucking up to the boss.
(Now, with the whole Middle East in turmoil, I find some relief in this brief parody by comedienne Connie Bryan of Petraeus's performance in training Iraqi troops.)
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
3
2
2
