Gen. David Petraeus makes the case for Obama's war.

Philadelphia Inquirer by Trudy Rubin | Apr. 12, 2009 (Opinion)

When Gen. David Petraeus testified on Capitol Hill 11 days ago about the new U.S. policy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, the story was relegated to the inside pages of major papers. What a contrast to the media circus when Petraeus testified on the Iraq war.

Shell-shocked by the financial crisis, the American public hasn't focused on Obama's war, which calls for 17,000 more combat troops this year, as well as 4,000 new military trainers. Polls show ... Full Story »

Posted by Leo Romero

See All Reviews »

View

3.7

by James Canning - Apr. 12, 2009

I like Trudy Rubin, but she does not challenge here the general story line that US military activities are the only way forward in Afghanistan and points east. Petraeus is a cheerleader for spending hundreds of billions of US taxpayer dollars on war and war-related programs in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Does it occur to Petraeus that the project of bringing stability of at least a minimal sort to Afghanistan, should be led by Russia, Iran, China and other countries in the vicinity? Why doesn't this obvious course of action jump out at the good general? Why pour hundreds more billions of US taxpayer dollars down these ratholes? Most Afghans are opposed to any increase in US troop levels in their country.