Let the record show that Flash was wrong.
Silly question. Patraeus of course.So who is going to run CENTCOM if General Patraeus is running the war in Afghanistan?
Looks like the deed is done. I understand why, but still not sure if its the best decision.
Silly question. Patraeus of course.
Just give Gen Petraeus his fifth start already!
That's not exactly normal career progression for the general of a major command to go back to theatre command is it?
More curious to see how Petraeus is going to handle all this than anything.
Speaking as a civilian, I see why this happened. It's a power play. I really think the President knows that the military has zero respect for him, and I think that the feeling is mutual from the President. "I have the power to fire your top guy. You'd better respect me," is the statement that this makes to the armed services.
Interesting observations by VDH:
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=OTMyZWI5NmYzYmIxZmZlYWM5Y2JiYjRlZmQwYzRjYWU=
The closing paragraph:
It is one of ironies of our present warped climate that Petraeus will face far less criticism from the media and politicians than during 2007–8 (there will be no more “General Betray Us” ads or “suspension of disbelief” ridicule), because his success this time will reflect well on Obama rather than George Bush. It is a further irony that Obama is surging with Petraeus despite not long ago declaring that such a strategy and such a commander were failures in Iraq. And it is an even further irony that he is now rightly calling for “common purpose” when — again not long ago, at a critical juncture in Iraq — Obama himself, for partisan purposes on the campaign trail, had no interest in the common purpose of military success in Iraq.
About 2 years.