Over at The Atlantic, I call for the promotion of David Petraeus to General of the Army.
It’s difficult to find a war in American history where so much depended on any one man. He is the face of this war, the spiritual commander in chief amongst presidencies deficient in military authority. He is the only man, general or civilian, who can stand before the American people, the American soldier, and military families, and discuss the conflict without being second-guessed or dismissed out of hand as a partisan hack. Long gone are the days of “General Betray Us.” Indeed, even MoveOn.org has scrubbed its website of the controversial advertisement. Petraeus is the Army. He is the war. The fate of the region is in his hands.
For that reason, and because President Obama has recommitted this nation to war in Afghanistan and the continued campaign in Iraq, General Petraeus should be promoted to General of the Army, and given a fifth star.
Read the whole thing here.
Photograph by Jonas Fredwall Karlsson
UPDATE: Linked by Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit. My thanks, good professor.
UPDATE 2: The ever-thoughtful Daniel Foster comments at National Review.
UPDATE 3: A link from the Washington Post!
UPDATE 4: Spotlighted on The Week as Best Column on Afghanistan. Thank you.
Congrats sir. Well deserved props for a great article.
Thanks Dave!