General David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, is the man everyone’s watching. Petraeus has a deserved reputation for clarity and honesty, something I’ve observed firsthand on two occasions I’ve had to interview him. His status assessment on the surge, slated to be delivered to congress in September, will be a political milestone for how Washington views the war, and so there’s no shortage of speculation about what message Petraeus will deliver. If it’s anything like his interviewwith USA Today, though, expect his briefing to accentuate the positive.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=180632