Jaffe’s sober assessment of Petraeus
This is worth reading. "Petraeus’s experience over the past decade shows that generals are not immune to the strain. They get used up, too," writes Greg Jaffe. I have heard Petraeus’ tour in Afghanistan referred to as his "fat Elvis" period, an unkind way of saying that he was tired and not on his A-game ...
This is worth reading. "Petraeus's experience over the past decade shows that generals are not immune to the strain. They get used up, too," writes Greg Jaffe. I have heard Petraeus' tour in Afghanistan referred to as his "fat Elvis" period, an unkind way of saying that he was tired and not on his A-game there.
I suspect that in Iraq, Petraeus tried to work with local factors as points of leverage, while in Afghanistan, his campaign against corruption worked against local factors. But I don't know the Afghan war well enough to assemble the evidence for that hunch. Can anyone enlighten me on this?
This is worth reading. "Petraeus’s experience over the past decade shows that generals are not immune to the strain. They get used up, too," writes Greg Jaffe. I have heard Petraeus’ tour in Afghanistan referred to as his "fat Elvis" period, an unkind way of saying that he was tired and not on his A-game there.
I suspect that in Iraq, Petraeus tried to work with local factors as points of leverage, while in Afghanistan, his campaign against corruption worked against local factors. But I don’t know the Afghan war well enough to assemble the evidence for that hunch. Can anyone enlighten me on this?
More from Foreign Policy
Is Cold War Inevitable?
A new biography of George Kennan, the father of containment, raises questions about whether the old Cold War—and the emerging one with China—could have been avoided.
So You Want to Buy an Ambassadorship
The United States is the only Western government that routinely rewards mega-donors with top diplomatic posts.
Can China Pull Off Its Charm Offensive?
Why Beijing’s foreign-policy reset will—or won’t—work out.
Turkey’s Problem Isn’t Sweden. It’s the United States.
Erdogan has focused on Stockholm’s stance toward Kurdish exile groups, but Ankara’s real demand is the end of U.S. support for Kurds in Syria.
Sign up for Morning Brief
Foreign Policy’s flagship daily newsletter with what’s coming up around the world today. Delivered weekdays.
By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.
