Petraeus Gives Troubled Afghan Mission a Trusted Name
By Viola Gienger and Tony Capaccio
June 24 (Bloomberg) -- General David Petraeus commands a respect in Congress and on foreign battlefields that may enhance the U.S. and NATO mission in a decisive phase against Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan.
President Barack Obama’s announcement yesterday that he’s replacing General Stanley McChrystal for remarks disparaging administration officials thrusts Petraeus back into the role of leading a major combat effort to reverse enemy gains. Petraeus, who wrote the Army’s book on counterinsurgency, took charge in Iraq in 2007 as the Bush administration started a troop surge that stabilized a nation on the verge of civil war.
“From the standpoint of continuity and consistency of approach and direction, I think this is a very good choice,” said retired Lieutenant General James Dubik, who’s been friends with Petraeus for more than 25 years and served with him in Iraq. “It lowers the risk of any significant loss of momentum.”
The president said the shift in command “is a change in personnel, but it is not a change in policy.”
Petraeus, 57, was named the top U.S. commander for the Middle East and Central Asia in 2008. He supervised both wars and coordinated with civilians and partners in the Afghanistan coalition led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Decisive Moment
He takes over as the U.S. completes the deployment of 30,000 additional troops Obama authorized in December in an effort to halt the Taliban resurgence that has increased deaths of U.S. and allied soldiers to the fastest pace in the war. With a four-month-old offensive stalled in the southern province of Helmand, the U.S. has delayed what it described as a decisive drive in the neighboring Taliban heartland of Kandahar.
The U.S. plans to reassess the strategy in December and train enough Afghan soldiers and police to allow a drawdown to begin in July 2011. That pullout date has drawn criticism from Republicans.
The “policy is confusing,” said Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. “It undercuts the war effort. It empowers our enemies. It confuses our friends.”
Said Senator John McCain of Arizona, “If you tell the enemy when you are leaving” it “has an adverse effect on your ability to succeed.”
Both said they support Petraeus.
2. Interesting how ethics are put as top priority by one of the most corrupt and inefficient entities with hundreds of billions destroyed and all bankers paid insane bonuses.
Fannie Mae To Deny New Mortgages To Deadbeats
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/23/2010 14:34 -0500It is now time to short Apple: Fannie Mae has just announced that it will no longer condone the same kind of irresponsible behavior that the Obama administration will soon be trying hard to codify into law, namely strategic defaulting. According to Dow Jones, bankrupt GSE Fannie Mae, announced "it won't back new mortgage loans for seven years for homeowners who walk away from their mortgages although they were able to pay or did not seek a workout in good faith with their lender." Terence Edwards, an EVP for Fannie, after having been a recipient of trillions in moral hazard (and having a job as a result), finds out that being on the receiving end of a total lack of integrity is not quite as pleasant: ""We're taking these steps to highlight the importance of working with your servicer. Walking away from a mortgage is bad for borrowers and bad for communities." Oh, now they tell us.
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