Gen. Petraeus Hails Afghan War Strategy

Gen. David Petraeus has been the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan for only six weeks, but he’s already seen increased insurgent attacks and violence, as well as Hamid Karzai’s shady handling of corruption probes. Despite all this, Petraeus told The Washington Post that efforts to win the nine-year war have been “fundamentally sound.” What’s more, Petraeus said, he remains optimistic about President Obama’s plans to withdraw troops next July. “We are doing everything we can to achieve progress as rapidly as we can without rushing to failure,” he said. “We’re keenly aware that this has been ongoing for approaching nine years. We fully appreciate the impatience in some quarters.” Petraeus, who meets daily with Karzai, said the two have a healthy relationship and added that he’s pleased with promising improvements he's witnessed on various counterinsurgency fronts.