11 September 2008

As John McCain runs around the country asserting the U.S. cannot pull out of Iraq until "victory" is achieved, none other than General Petraeus is knee-capping the idea of waiting for 'victory' to be achieved.

In an BBC interview, Petraeus says the war in Iraq is not a war with a "simple slogan" and said he would never use the word "victory" to describe the situation. From the BBC interview:

He said he did not know that he would ever use the word "victory":
"This is not the sort of struggle where you take a hill, plant the flag and go home to a victory parade... it's not war with a simple slogan."

Hear the audio below:
 

The General tells BBC News "you can't secure the people if you don't live with them" in reference to his strategy of setting up joint security stations in important locations around Iraq.

Petraeus's stunning remarks come after McCain predicted "victory" in Iraq by 2013.

CNN reported on McCain's remarks back in May of this year:

"It could be next month; it could be next year. It could three years from now. It could be, but I'm confident that we will have victory in Iraq, but I'm certainly not putting a date on it. "

McCain said victory means "our troops come home with honor and we do maintain a security relationship ... if viewed necessary by both governments."

Being more candid than perhaps people thought he was previously, Petraeus admitted the violence in Iraq in when he took over was "horrific".

"...The violence was horrific and the fabric of society was being torn apart," Petraeus says.

Source Material:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7610405.stm