A former war commander in Iraq says no surge of forces would have succeeded, regardless of how many soldiers were deployed, without a counter-insurgency strategy. During a speech at the University of Louisville, former General David Petraeus offered a look into the anti-insurgency campaign he spearheaded.
Petraeus, who is now serving as CIA Director, said Monday that the surge of forces in 2007 was important, but not as crucial as the strategy changes at a time when sectarian violence threatened to tear apart Iraq. Those changes included stationing soldiers among the Iraqi people and reaching out to insurgents willing to reconcile.
He added that the strategy, along with killing or capturing hard-core extremists, resulted in a 90-percent reduction in insurgent attacks during the surge.
Petraeus, who is now serving as CIA Director, said Monday that the surge of forces in 2007 was important, but not as crucial as the strategy changes at a time when sectarian violence threatened to tear apart Iraq. Those changes included stationing soldiers among the Iraqi people and reaching out to insurgents willing to reconcile.
He added that the strategy, along with killing or capturing hard-core extremists, resulted in a 90-percent reduction in insurgent attacks during the surge.
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