Gen. Petraeus: ‘The Enemy Remains Lethal, Resilient, and Very Dangerous’
MR. BAY: Gen Petraeus, I believe you’ve addressed this question in other venues, but I’d like to hear your opinion on disbanding the Iraqi Army. I know it was a done deal in some respects, but unemployed 19 year old males are a problem everywhere, in every culture, in every society. And I for one would rather have a hundred thousand 19 year old males on the payroll sweeping streets. Now, I know this reflects, to some degree, a demographic problem as well. Would you care to comment on that?
GENERAL PETRAEUS: Well, in fact, you know, I’ve been asked, as part of the confirmation process for this job and then as part of the confirmation process for the CENTCOM job, I was asked for reflections, if you will, on some of the areas in which there were mistakes made. And I think this is one of them.
Now, let me qualify that because, to be fair to those who made this decision, Iraq did not need that army. It was, as you know, having served here, it was a bloated top-heavy force under Saddam. It was really a jobs program for generals.
There were supposedly — we were told that, in one of the provinces where we were operating eventually, Ninawa Province, one of the largest provinces in Iraq, with Mosul, the capital section of Iraq’s second or third largest city, in that province that there were over 1,100 brigadiers and above. And that sort of characterizes what kind of army Iraq had at the time.
Having said that, although it may not have needed that army, it also didn’t need its members who were, in truth, at the end of the day, still Iraq’s one national institution, many of whom had fought for Iraq and been wounded in the war in Iran, did not need them, unemployed, feeling disrespected and uncertain about their future.
And I don’t remember when you arrived but we went through a very tough, long, hot, five-week period between the decision to disband the armies, that announcement, and the announcement of the stipend program that would at least provide some finances to those who used to serve in the army but still, in the end, excluded a substantial number of its senior officers.
MR. BAY: I recall following your use of CERP funds up with the 101st, and it was — that’s a tremendous tool to be able to use the Commander’s Emergency Response Program funds for a variety of economic and political reasons.
GENERAL PETRAEUS: Well, CERP is a very important tool, and Ambassador Bremer began that program in response to comments from division commanders that we had reached a point early on where money was becoming one of the most important elements of ammunition, and we didn’t have much.
In fact, we would point out that we could ask for and receive — you know, a several hundred thousand dollar missile would be launched downrange with a single radio call and, yet, to spend a few thousand dollars to refurbish a school or fix a water project required enormous bureaucracy and approvals and authorities and cash that just wasn’t available.
And, happily, he fixed that fairly quickly, and that program has since been one of the most important tools in the kit bags of our commanders.
President David Petraeus? In the foreseeable future.
Among the few people in recent years who single-handedly changed the course of history for the better, General Petraeus would have to be at the top of the list. The entire foreign policy success or failure of the current administration (with Iraq playing such a major role) hinged on the leadership and clear vision of this one man. George W. Bush should be forever grateful to Gen. Petraeus for this.
General Petraeus, an American hero. A solid interview with a great man.
President David Petraus?
I’m all for that.
Nah ..you mean JK Rowling for President…the hack writer of repetitious childrens books voted by our media to be PERSON OF THE YEAR instead of Gen. Petraeus. And after all its the media that counts..they manufacture the candidates..as our idiotic infatuation with Obama proves.
The people who criticize this man have utterly no idea of just how intelligent and broadly read he is. An intellectual warrior who also understands diplomacy. I’m glad I took the time to read this interview. It was worthwhile.
Plus, you can tell he loves his soldiers and cares for them. His closing remarks are humble and full of that sense of comraderie that all veterans understand.
I’m wondering what Gen. Petraeus must think of Obama? Would have liked to have been a fly on the wall when Sen. Obama came to town to chat with the general. But I’m sure it will be years before we find out what transpired there. After he retires from the service.
Interesting to have the ideas of Gen Petraeus presented so clearly.
What we are seeing here, with Pajamasmedia and Col Bay’s Arena is a new media information channel, that can displace the old MSM fossil media’s bias and ignorance.
Great work!
Too many Americans, especially on the left, don’t understand how professional our military has become, and how well educated its members are – from the low ranking enlisted to the top generals. US military forces are now made up of true professionals – well selected, well educated, well motivated, brave and capable.
Thank you, Austin.
While it could never come close to being an adequate expression of gratitude for rescuing this enterprise … thank you, General Petraeus and all those who served with you.
Liberals have never questioned the performance, sacrifice, commitment, courage or quality of the military. It’s the always been about the reasoning of invading Iraq in the first place, and the only logical conclusion remains oil. That as a White house goal has also been an abject failure as the contracts and control of the oil fields has gone to China. Surge or no surge our brave men and women continue to die unnecessarily and John McCain’s notion to stay in Iraq until their deaths are justified is obscene.It was wrong to go into Iraq in 2003 and it is still wrong today.
You right wing conservatives just keep telling yourselves that we have a reason to be there and maybe some day you will start to believe it yourselves.