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The fact is that Iran doesn't want to see the Taliban come back any more than do most Afghan citizens.
David Petraeus -
The Germans have done wonderful work. Not long ago, a German battle group battalion conducted a very impressive counterinsurgency operation in a portion of Baghlan province. I think these are the first counterinsurgency operations conducted by any German element after World War II. And they did a very impressive job.
David Petraeus
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I think no commander ever is going to come out and say, 'I'm confident that we can do this.'
David Petraeus -
I don't comment directly on actions or statements of candidates.
David Petraeus -
But clearly, this is what this is about. It's about pushing the security bubble out. It's about rooting out every last guy, so that there's not even somebody who can fire a single, solitary RPG round from some little qalat out here.
David Petraeus -
Counter-insurgency, as you know, is a roller-coaster affair.
David Petraeus -
When I was commander of Central Command, obviously we were very concerned about the developments in Yemen, the developments in Somalia and elsewhere, in Africa and so forth. But the al Qaeda senior leadership is under unprecedented pressure.
David Petraeus -
No greater privilege than I had as a soldier and then as a spymaster and to some degree now in the business world.
David Petraeus
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America is not in decline.
David Petraeus -
You have to keep on disrupting. If you let up the pressure, then al-Qaeda senior leadership will come back.
David Petraeus -
The Middle East is not part of the world that plays by Las Vegas rules: What happens in the Middle East is not going to stay in the Middle East.
David Petraeus -
The foremost threat to Iraq's long-term stability and the broader regional equilibrium is not the Islamic State, it is Shiite militias, many backed by - and some guided by - Iran.
David Petraeus -
The bottom line is that Daesh's defeat requires not just hammering them on the battlefield but, simultaneously, revived political reconciliation with Sunnis.
David Petraeus -
Setting aside moral considerations, those who flirt with hate speech against Muslims should realize they are playing directly into the hands of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. The terrorists' explicit hope has been to try to provoke a clash of civilizations - telling Muslims that the United States is at war with them and their religion.
David Petraeus
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Nothing means more to those in harm's way than the knowledge that their country appreciates their sacrifices and those of their families.
David Petraeus -
The Afghan people do not take kindly to conquerors.
David Petraeus -
As we used to say when I was privileged to be the commander there, Nineveh province has the most diverse human terrain in all of Iraq - Sunni Arab majority to be sure, but also Shia Arabs, numerous Kurdish communities, and they are broken out into several different political parties.
David Petraeus -
People often ask, why aren't you reading about what it is you're working on right now? And the truth is, you only get three pages a night before your eyelids close.
David Petraeus -
There is no question that the Islamic State will be defeated in Mosul; the real question is what comes afterward. Can the post-Islamic State effort resolve the squabbling likely to arise over numerous issues and bring lasting stability to one of Iraq's most diverse and challenging provinces? Failure to do so could lead to ISIS 3.0.
David Petraeus -
Beyond Iraq, I am also profoundly worried about the continuing meltdown of Syria, which is a geopolitical Chernobyl. Until it is capped, it is going to continue to spew radioactive instability and extremist ideology over the entire region.
David Petraeus
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Committing to a particular goal publicly puts pressure on oneself. It becomes an enormous action-forcing mechanism and often helps you achieve more than you might have had you kept your goals to yourself.
David Petraeus -
In counterinsurgency operations, the human terrain is the decisive terrain.
David Petraeus -
In all of our efforts, we continue to emphasize the importance of inclusivity and transparency on the part of the Afghan government and leadership, especially in linking nascent local governing institutions to the decision-making and financial resources in Kabul.
David Petraeus -
Iraq does have many, many different tensions.
David Petraeus