David Petraeus

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Iraqi Assault on Basra Was 'Thrown Together'

Americans taken aback by Maliki's hasty, improvised raid

(Newser) - American officials were expecting a gradual, methodical operation when Nouri al-Maliki moved Iraqi troops into Basra to restore order in the city. What they witnessed instead was a rush job: an Iraqi raid that had little forethought and began even before the last of the soldiers had arrived. "He...

New US Mideast Commander Installed
New US Mideast Commander Installed
Mar 29, 2008 8:58 AM CDT

New US Mideast Commander Installed

Out with the Navy, in with the Army as head of CentCom

(Newser) - A new commander has taken temporary charge of US military operations in the Mideast, after a quiet ceremony at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida yesterday. Lt. Gen Martin Dempsey will run CentCom while the administration seeks a permanent replacement for Adm. William Fallon, who quit abruptly earlier this month...

Petraeus to Bush: Hold Troop Levels Steady

General's advice means significant drawdowns will be left to next prez

(Newser) - Troop levels should remain steady in Iraq once they return to pre-surge levels in July, Gen. David Petraeus told President Bush today. Petraeus urged a period of “consolidation and evaluation,” with monthly reviews of ground conditions—meaning Bush would likely leave major troop reductions to his successor, the...

Petraeus: Iran Behind Green Zone Attack

General: Tehran equipped and trained Iraqi insurgents

(Newser) - Gen. David Petraeus says Iran was behind yesterday's mortar attack on Baghdad's Green Zone, the BBC reports. Tehran trained, equipped, and funded the insurgents who carried out the attack, he said. "All of this in complete violation of promises made by President Ahmadinejad and the other most senior Iranian...

US Death Toll in Iraq War Hits 4,000

Latest roadside bombing kills 4 American servicemen

(Newser) - A roadside bomb yesterday killed 4 US servicemen, hiking the American death toll in the Iraq war to at least 4,000, AP reports. Another soldier was wounded in the blast, which came less than a week after the fifth anniversary of the war. At least 61 other people died...

Bush: 'Noble' Iraq War Must Go On

We're not going anywhere, president says on 5th anniversary

(Newser) - President Bush argued for continuing the Iraq war today on the fifth anniversary of its start, saying the "battle in Iraq is noble, it is necessary, and it is just." Outlining the horrors of Sadam’s regime, Bush thundered, “Because we acted, the world is better,”...

'Petraeus Generation' Is Making Muslim Allies

CO's learn that gun-blazing ways only sparked insurgency in Iraq

(Newser) - US officers in Iraq and Afghanistan are learning to talk first and shoot later—a sea change for CO's trained to win by force, Newsweek reports. But their early gun battles only sparked insurgency and mired them in baffling street battles. Now, says David Petraeus, “You can’t kill...

Cheney Makes Surprise Visit to Baghdad

Promises 'unwavering commitment' of US as war begins 6th year

(Newser) - Leading Iraq war architect Dick Cheney made an unannounced visit to Baghdad today, beginning a nine-day Middle East tour by promising Iraq the "unwavering commitment of the United States in finishing the difficult work that lies ahead." John McCain, traveling as a member of the Senate Armed Services...

McCain Makes Surprise Visit to Baghdad

He begins Mideast tour to shore up foreign policy image

(Newser) - John McCain made a surprise visit to Baghdad this morning, where he will meet with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Gen. David Petraeus, and US troops. Details were sketchy for security reasons. McCain, who has linked his political hopes to success in Iraq, has begun a tour of the Mideast and...

New Iraq NIE Likely to Remain Secret

Officials keen to keep report classified after Iran estimate flap

(Newser) - Intelligence officials may keep the results of a new assessment on Iraq confidential when it's completed next month, the Washington Post reports. The new National Intelligence Estimate will be given to Congress, but intelligence officials are gunshy about making it public because of the brouhaha that erupted when they released...

US to Stall Troop Cuts Over Iraqi Elections

But Baghdad vetoed plan for the ballots earlier this week

(Newser) - US troop cuts in Iraq will stall after July to ensure security for local elections, a Washington official said yesterday. "You can actually increase your own risk if you pull out too many simultaneously," the official said. "This is not a stall tactic." But Baghdad officials...

British Hostage Appears on Arab Television

One of 5 missing since May asks for prisoner exchange

(Newser) - One of the five British men kidnapped in Baghdad eight months ago appeared on Arab television last night, begging Prime Minister Gordon Brown to free nine Iraqi prisoners in exchange for the Britons. “Release their people so that we can go home. It’s as simple as that,"...

Army to Shorten Combat Tours
Army to Shorten Combat Tours
Feb 27, 2008 7:40 AM CST

Army to Shorten Combat Tours

Three years between deployments

(Newser) - The Pentagon aims to trim tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan from 15 months to a year with an eventual three years between deployments, the Army's top general told the Senate Committee on Armed Services yesterday. The change will be made after the military reduces troop levels this summer,...

8,000 Surge Troops to Stay Put
8,000 Surge Troops to Stay Put
Feb 26, 2008 6:38 AM CST

8,000 Surge Troops to Stay Put

More than a quarter of surge troops ordered to stick it out

(Newser) - More than a quarter of the extra troops sent to Iraq during the surge will stay in the war zone and not return to the US this summer as previously planned, the Pentagon has revealed. Some 8,000 of the 30,000 surge troops—including helicopter crews, supply units, headquarters...

General Plans New Round of Iraq Troop Cuts

Petraeus reveals second withdrawal likely after July

(Newser) - General David Petraeus is preparing new plans to withdraw American troops from Iraq on top of previously announced reductions. The US commander in Iraq said that after more than 20,000 soldiers are pulled out by July, he will recommend further cutbacks later in the year, he told the Times...

General's Iraqi Shift Mirrors US Strategy

Outgoing No. 2 evolved from aggressive tactics to nonlethal ones

(Newser) - Gen Raymond Odierno stepped down from his post as the No. 2 general in Iraq this week, having evolved from a proponent of heavy-handed tactics to a believer in nonlethal methods to win favor with Iraqis and reduce violence, the Washington Post reports. In a lengthy profile of the so-called...

Gates Backs Pause in Iraq Troop Pullout

Defense secretary sees need to stabilize gains after 'al-Qaeda routed'

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates today backed a "pause" in pulling out US forces from Iraq once the 30,000  troops added for the surge are sent home in July. “The notion of a brief period of consolidation and evaluation probably does make sense,” Gates told reporters during...

Iraqi Suicide Bomber Kills at Least 33

Blast occurs as US defense secretary surveys troop surge

(Newser) - A suicide bomber killed at least 33 people and injured 45 in Iraq today just hours before US Defense Secretary Robert Gates made a surprise visit to Baghdad, the BBC reports. The car blast, sparked by six barrels of explosives, toppled buildings, and officials say more bodies may be dug...

Petraeus Could Be Tapped to Head NATO

Pentagon mulls Iraq commander's next assignment

(Newser) - Iraq’s top commander could be at the helm of NATO by the start of next year, the New York Times reports. While no final decisions have been made, the Pentagon is considering nominating Gen. Petraeus in September, installing him before the election dust settles in a new, highly prestigious,...

Bush Defers on Troop Pullouts, Upbraids Iran

'It's fine with me' if general slows down US withdrawal

(Newser) - At a naval base in Kuwait today, President Bush praised the success of US forces in Iraq since the surge and said he would not pressure Gen. David Petraeus to continue troop drawdowns beyond the 30,000 scheduled to be pulled out by July. "My attitude is, if he...

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