David Petraeus delivers a "Stark Warning" to the Pentagon

Modbert

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Sep 2, 2008
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The Petraeus briefing: Biden?s embarrassment is not the whole story, by Mark Perry | The Middle East Channel

On Jan. 16, two days after a killer earthquake hit Haiti, a team of senior military officers from the U.S. Central Command (responsible for overseeing American security interests in the Middle East), arrived at the Pentagon to brief Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The team had been dispatched by CENTCOM commander Gen. David Petraeus to underline his growing worries at the lack of progress in resolving the issue. The 33-slide, 45-minute PowerPoint briefing stunned Mullen. The briefers reported that there was a growing perception among Arab leaders that the U.S. was incapable of standing up to Israel, that CENTCOM's mostly Arab constituency was losing faith in American promises, that Israeli intransigence on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was jeopardizing U.S. standing in the region, and that Mitchell himself was (as a senior Pentagon officer later bluntly described it) "too old, too slow ... and too late."

The January Mullen briefing was unprecedented. No previous CENTCOM commander had ever expressed himself on what is essentially a political issue; which is why the briefers were careful to tell Mullen that their conclusions followed from a December 2009 tour of the region where, on Petraeus's instructions, they spoke to senior Arab leaders. "Everywhere they went, the message was pretty humbling," a Pentagon officer familiar with the briefing says. "America was not only viewed as weak, but its military posture in the region was eroding." But Petraeus wasn't finished: two days after the Mullen briefing, Petraeus sent a paper to the White House requesting that the West Bank and Gaza (which, with Israel, is a part of the European Command -- or EUCOM), be made a part of his area of operations. Petraeus's reason was straightforward: with U.S. troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. military had to be perceived by Arab leaders as engaged in the region's most troublesome conflict.

[UPDATE: A senior military officer denied Sunday that Petraeus sent a paper to the White House.

"CENTCOM did have a team brief the CJCS on concerns revolving around the Palestinian issue, and CENTCOM did propose a UCP change, but to CJCS, not to the WH," the officer said via email. "GEN Petraeus was not certain what might have been conveyed to the WH (if anything) from that brief to CJCS."

(UCP means "unified combatant command," like CENTCOM; CJCS refers to Mullen; and WH is the White House.)]

The Mullen briefing and Petraeus's request hit the White House like a bombshell. While Petraeus's request that CENTCOM be expanded to include the Palestinians was denied ("it was dead on arrival," a Pentagon officer confirms), the Obama administration decided it would redouble its efforts -- pressing Israel once again on the settlements issue, sending Mitchell on a visit to a number of Arab capitals and dispatching Mullen for a carefully arranged meeting with the chief of the Israeli General Staff, Lt. General Gabi Ashkenazi. While the American press speculated that Mullen's trip focused on Iran, the JCS Chairman actually carried a blunt, and tough, message on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: that Israel had to see its conflict with the Palestinians "in a larger, regional, context" -- as having a direct impact on America's status in the region. Certainly, it was thought, Israel would get the message.

Israel didn't. When Vice President Joe Biden was embarrassed by an Israeli announcement that the Netanyahu government was building 1,600 new homes in East Jerusalem, the administration reacted. But no one was more outraged than Biden who, according to the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, engaged in a private, and angry, exchange with the Israeli Prime Minister. Not surprisingly, what Biden told Netanyahu reflected the importance the administration attached to Petraeus's Mullen briefing: "This is starting to get dangerous for us," Biden reportedly told Netanyahu. "What you're doing here undermines the security of our troops who are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. That endangers us and it endangers regional peace." Yedioth Ahronoth went on to report: "The vice president told his Israeli hosts that since many people in the Muslim world perceived a connection between Israel's actions and US policy, any decision about construction that undermines Palestinian rights in East Jerusalem could have an impact on the personal safety of American troops fighting against Islamic terrorism." The message couldn't be plainer: Israel's intransigence could cost American lives.

There are important and powerful lobbies in America: the NRA, the American Medical Association, the lawyers -- and the Israeli lobby. But no lobby is as important, or as powerful, as the U.S. military. While commentators and pundits might reflect that Joe Biden's trip to Israel has forever shifted America's relationship with its erstwhile ally in the region, the real break came in January, when David Petraeus sent a briefing team to the Pentagon with a stark warning: America's relationship with Israel is important, but not as important as the lives of America's soldiers. Maybe Israel gets the message now.

Thoughts?

Edit: Just a note, I'd like to make it clear that I have not stated my opinion on this particular issue. Rather, I wanted to create a dialogue that would discuss this issue. I have however made my opinion clear to Frank about how I feel his whole "Kick them all" plan.
 
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They're sweating bullets. The accusations of anti-Semitism have already begun.

Israel should immediately battle a charge emerging in the US that its actions are endangering the lives of US soldiers, because it is a particularly “pernicious” argument that “smacks of blaming the Jews for everything,” Anti-Defamation League National Chairman Abe Foxman said on Monday.

...

Eytan Gilboa, a political science professor at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan and a specialist on US-Israeli relations, said the government needed to frontally counter this argument because it risked eroding support for Israel among the US public. ...if not combated aggressively, this argument – if it gains traction among the American public – could undermine the widespread support in the US for Israel.

“All Americans support their troops,” he said, adding that this particular argument was “very dangerous.”

Linkie:
Foxman: Don't blame the Jews
 
Nancy Pelosi is a far greater threat to US troops than a few Israeli houses ever could be.
 
Petraeus is out of his fucking mind.

And here come the knifes to the back to General Petraeus. Are you telling us that you know better than the man who led the troops in Iraq and now Afghanistan?

Just curious.
 
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Petraeus is out of his fucking mind.

And here come the knifes to the back to General Petraeus. Are you telling us that you know better than the man who led the troops in Iraq and now Afghanistan?

Just wondering. :eusa_whistle:

Excuse me? Knife to the back?

There won't be peace until the Arab world deals with the reality that Israel is there to stay. Hillary, Mitchell , Petraeus and the Muslim in the WH should screw their fucking heads on straight and deal with that
 
Excuse me? Knife to the back?

There won't be peace until the Arab world deals with the reality that Israel is there to stay. Hillary, Mitchell , Petraeus and the Muslim in the WH should screw their fucking heads on straight and deal with that

Yes, knife in the back. You seem to think he's insane because he puts the troops best interests in mind.

Let me ask you a question, Frank, yes or no.

Do you think America's relationship with Israel is worth American soldiers lives?
 
That's right.

Israel has ever right to build in Jerusalem

Quite the dishonest answer you just gave there. How about in general? Do you feel they have a right to tear down the homes of Palis, toss them out on the streets, and build new homes in that place for Israelis?

Yes or no. Simple question, simple answer.
 
Excuse me? Knife to the back?

There won't be peace until the Arab world deals with the reality that Israel is there to stay. Hillary, Mitchell , Petraeus and the Muslim in the WH should screw their fucking heads on straight and deal with that

Yes, knife in the back. You seem to think he's insane because he puts the troops best interests in mind.

Let me ask you a question, Frank, yes or no.

Do you think America's relationship with Israel is worth American soldiers lives?

It's fucking hilarious that all of a sudden you're cheerleading for Petraeus, wasn't he "General Betray Us" not too long ago?

As far as your question, the only correct answer is go fuck yourself
 
That's right.

Israel has ever right to build in Jerusalem

Quite the dishonest answer you just gave there. How about in general? Do you feel they have a right to tear down the homes of Palis, toss them out on the streets, and build new homes in that place for Israelis?

Yes or no. Simple question, simple answer.

I've said before Israel should give ever Palestinian a one way ticket to the Arab homeland of their choice.
 
Oh, another thing on the safety of our troops. I watched "Hurt Locker" and if I were in charge on the ground, I'd make sure that every male over the age of 15 knew that we were going to march everyone of them, every male over 15, out ahead of us to make sure they are no IED's on the ground.
 
It's fucking hilarious that all of a sudden you're cheerleading for Petraeus, wasn't he "General Betray Us" not too long ago?

As far as your question, the only correct answer is go fuck yourself

I want a answer Frank.

And I will continue to ask you in every thread until you give me a answer.

Is America's Relationship with Israel worth American Troop Lives?

As for General Petraeus, I have always highly regarded his opinion.

In fact, I posted a thread all the way back in September of 2008 talking about what he said.

http://www.usmessageboard.com/politics/58131-mission-impossible-victory-in-iraq.html

Now find proof of otherwise.
 
It's fucking hilarious that all of a sudden you're cheerleading for Petraeus, wasn't he "General Betray Us" not too long ago?

As far as your question, the only correct answer is go fuck yourself

I want a answer Frank.

And I will continue to ask you in every thread until you give me a answer.

Is America's Relationship with Israel worth American Troop Lives?

As for General Petraeus, I have always highly regarded his opinion.

In fact, I posted a thread all the way back in September of 2008 talking about what he said.

http://www.usmessageboard.com/politics/58131-mission-impossible-victory-in-iraq.html

Now find proof of otherwise.

no american troops have died for israel.
 
I've said before Israel should give ever Palestinian a one way ticket to the Arab homeland of their choice.

Again, I wanted a yes or no answer. What you're doing is supporting Israel to displace thousands if not millions of Palestinians who have lived there for many years.

I doubt you would like such a thing if Obama came to your home tomorrow, threw you out along with all your belongings, and merely offered you a one way ticket to a place in Europe of your choice.
 
It's fucking hilarious that all of a sudden you're cheerleading for Petraeus, wasn't he "General Betray Us" not too long ago?

As far as your question, the only correct answer is go fuck yourself

I want a answer Frank.

And I will continue to ask you in every thread until you give me a answer.

Is America's Relationship with Israel worth American Troop Lives?

As for General Petraeus, I have always highly regarded his opinion.

In fact, I posted a thread all the way back in September of 2008 talking about what he said.

http://www.usmessageboard.com/politics/58131-mission-impossible-victory-in-iraq.html

Now find proof of otherwise.

no american troops have died for israel.

My answer is still better
 
Oh, another thing on the safety of our troops. I watched "Hurt Locker" and if I were in charge on the ground, I'd make sure that every male over the age of 15 knew that we were going to march everyone of them, every male over 15, out ahead of us to make sure they are no IED's on the ground.

The Hurt Locker? Really? So you're going to take the word of a inaccurate movie over the leading general on the ground.

:cuckoo:
 
I've said before Israel should give ever Palestinian a one way ticket to the Arab homeland of their choice.

Again, I wanted a yes or no answer. What you're doing is supporting Israel to displace thousands if not millions of Palestinians who have lived there for many years.

I doubt you would like such a thing if Obama came to your home tomorrow, threw you out along with all your belongings, and merely offered you a one way ticket to a place in Europe of your choice.

If I was supposedly living in a place that was compared unfavorably to a Nazi Death Camp, why wouldn't I leave...joyfully?
 

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