One should not think that changing horses mid stream is really all that bad in military terms. It happens fairly frequently in history, and very often with good results. It has been clear that General McChrystal had to go and, on his record, General Petraeus is clearly the most suitable man for the post.
But, can he pull it off?
In Iraq, General Petraeus had the 100% backing of President Bush to obtain whatever he needed and take as much time as required. In Afghanistan, there is a time clock already running out and while more has been sent, it seems pretty clear that the military did not get all it requested (which, by the way, is not necessarily decisive – generals tend to ask for more than they know they’ll get; sort of taking out insurance against politics, as it were). The real question is whether or not General Petraeus has the time and resources to secure victory?
I hope he does – losing in Afghanistan would be a catastrophe for us. But the clock on the wall continues to worry me. I’d feel much better if, taking advantage of the fracas, Obama were to set aside his self-imposed time limit. Unfortunately, I don’t see Obama as a man who remotely understands military reality, and thus the opportunity to re-commit ourselves to victory might be lost.
I wish luck and offer my prayers for General Petraeus and his command. He has been given the hardest job in the world, I have faith in his courage and capability – and now we’ll see what he can do.
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