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Quote by David Petraeus

“Iraq has gone from being on the brink to being on the mend, and it clearly has some big advantages.”

Quote by David Petraeus

Author

David Petraeus, born on November 7, 1952, is a former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the United States. He has extensive experience in the military and intelligence sectors, having served in the United States Army and holding significant positions in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Petraeus is known for his expertise in military strategy and intelligence analysis. more

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“In Afghanistan you are not rebuilding, you are building. There is very limited infrastructure and extreme terrain, with deserts in the south and mountains so high in some areas that helicopters don't even fly well at a certain altitude because the air becomes so thin. The country has a serious problem of illiteracy, especially after so many years of war and Taliban rule.”

Years Wells War Country Problem Certain Air Building Serious Mountain Areas South Extremes Desert Afghanistan Infrastructure Taliban Rebuilding Helicopters Terrain Illiteracy

Author:David Petraeus

“Afghanistan has other enormous challenges as well, including a political system that is still very much developing, although there has been some progress in the past several years.”

Years Wells Has Beens Stills Past Political Challenges Progress Including Enormous Developing Afghanistan Political Systems

Author:David Petraeus

“There [in Afghanistan] is also a growing insurgency threat from al-Qaida, the Taliban and other extremist elements, some of which comes from the tribal areas of Pakistan, as well as from the Northwest Frontier province and Baluchistan.”

Wells Growing Elements Areas Threat Als Afghanistan Pakistan Frontiers Extremist Provinces Taliban Insurgency

Author:David Petraeus

“The first official statements of President Asif Ali Zardari's new government have been firm and robust. Pakistan is obviously a renewed democracy.”

Firsts Has Beens Government President Democracy Statements Firm Officials Pakistan Robust New Government

Author:David Petraeus

“Pakistan are very keen to carry out the operations themselves. And there's significant effort on the part of the US and other countries to provide assistance that can enable Pakistan to do just that.”

Country Effort Significant Operations Other Countries Assistance Pakistan

Author:David Petraeus

“US forces have been increased [in Afghanistan ] from some 21,000 to about 31,000 over the past two years and a number of coalition countries have also increased their forces, there still are not sufficient troops.”

Years Has Beens Stills Two Country Past Force Numbers Sufficient Two Years Afghanistan Troops Over The Past Coalitions

Author:David Petraeus

“The question is always how you get the number of troops needed. They do not have to be coalition forces. We also have to expand the training program for the Afghan National Army and the national police, in particular. and Defense Secretary Robert Gates has already announced support for a significant increase in the Afghan army.”

Force Numbers Support Particular Needed Training Program Increase Army Police Defense Significant Gates Troops Secretary Coalitions Afghan Training Programs

Author:David Petraeus

“Let's remember that the reason we are there is that we have vital interests in Afghanistan, hugely important national interests, as do the other countries involved.”

Important Country Reason Remember Interest Involved Afghanistan Other Countries National Interests

Author:David Petraeus

“First and foremost is to not allow the reestablishment, if you will, of an extremist sanctuary that can export the kind of terror that ended up with terrorists taking down the World Trade Center and plowing into the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. That's the point: We started this war because the Sept. 11 attack came from this area. And we do not fight alone, but with some 40 allies who share that view.”

Ifs World Firsts Kind War Fighting Views Share Fields Areas Trade Terror Terrorist Allies Sanctuary Extremist Pennsylvania Pentagon World Trade World Trade Center Sept 11 Plowing

Author:David Petraeus

“I did a week-long assessment in 2005 at (then Defense Secretary Donald) Rumsfeld's request. Following our return, I told him that Afghanistan was going to be the longest campaign of what we then termed "the long war."”

Long War Week Return Following Defense Campaigns Afghanistan Secretary Request Assessment

Author:David Petraeus