Stories related to: David Petraeus

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 your way out of an insurgency." A generation of US officers is absorbing Muslim culture and trying to make allies of insurgent foes to win. More »

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 Committee, simultaneously met with other Iraqi leaders in the capital, AFP reports. More »

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 Europe to position himself for the general election as a world leader, the Chicago Tribune reports. More »

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 an NIE about Iran's nuclear program last fall. More »

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 nixed plans for the summer ballots this week, highlighting tensions between Baghdad and provincial governments. More »

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," Peter Moore said in remarks dubbed into Arabic. It was the first sign of the hostages since December, writes the Times of London. More »

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, Reuters reports, and commanders believe it possible even with a pause in the drawdown. More »

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 staff, and military guards for Iraqi prisons—will be ordered to stay behind, leaving the total number of troops in Iraq at 140,000, reports CNN. More »

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 of London. Pressed to give a number, he said only: "We have a range based on various situations." More »

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 General O, the Post says his conversion in many ways mirrors the larger shift in strategy of the US military. More »

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 out of the rubble. More »

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, but less politically treacherous position. But some fear taking his hand off Iraq’s tiller. More »

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 didn't want to continue the drawdown, that's fine with me," the president told reporters. "I said to the general, 'If you want to slow her down, fine. It's up to you.' " More »

Al-Qaeda in Iraq is down 75%, one Baghdad official said today—but US Gen. David Petraeus maintained that al-Qaeda is still “the most significant challenge" facing the country. Maj. Gen. Abdul Kareem Khalaf attributed the alleged al-Qaeda cut to beefed Iraq security, armed Sunni fighters, and the recent US troop surge. More »

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said today the US is on track to have 100,000 troops, or 10 brigades, in Iraq by the end of the Bush administration, the Chicago Tribune reports. Recent security gains in Iraq have allowed Gen. David Petraeus to begin to enact his plan of removing one brigade a month from the current level of 158,000. More »

Stability in Iraq may be increasing, but the flow of arms and insurgents across its border with Iran has slowed little, reports the Wall Street Journal. A Pentagon report, to be presented to Congress tomorrow, will frame Iraq's overall security in a positive light, but again call into question how much credit Iran deserves—even as the White House weighs a diplomatic approach. More »

Baghdad shocked Washington and the UN last month by inviting home 1.4 million refugees from Syria, the Washington Post reports. The UN warned against it, saying exiles would face poverty, but Iraq started a bus line to transport them back. Many found their homes looted and neighborhoods redrawn along sectarian lines—and with no official plan in place, they burdened relatives by moving in. More »

US Gen. David Petraeus said today that declining violence in Iraq has given him greater flexibility with troop deployment, the AP reports. But while Petraeus remains quietly optimistic about American prospects in Iraq, he played down any talk of a turning point. "There's nobody in uniform who is doing victory dances in the end zone," he said. More »

US combat brigades in Iraq may soon be given an expanded role in training and supporting Iraqis, reports the New York Times . Under the plan, not yet finalized, a quarter of US troops would be withdrawn next July but others would stay behind to help transfer more of the security role to Iraqis—while safeguarding gains made during the surge. More »

Al Qaeda in Iraq is a diminished threat, and credit goes not only to the latest US military push but to unexpected and "robust" efforts by Syria to keep foreign militants out, Gen. David Petraeus said in an extended interview in the Wall Street Journal . The top commander in Iraq said the number of foreign fighters entering through Syria has been cut by at least a third. More »