US General David Petraeus was scheduled to face a confirmation hearing in the Senate yesterday expected to expose growing doubts about the US effort in Afghanistan, but broad support for the four-star general chosen to lead it.
One of the US military’s biggest stars, Petraeus is widely credited with helping turn the tide in Iraq. US President Barack Obama hopes he can do the same with the unpopular, nine-year-old war in Afghanistan.
Petraeus, 57, is set to replace General Stanley McChrystal, who was fired by Obama last week over comments made by him and his aides belittling the president and his aides. McChrystal announced his retirement on Monday.
It was the biggest military shake-up of his presidency, and the second time the top Afghan commander has been fired since Obama took office last year.
“This is Obama’s last chance,” said Arturo Munoz, a security analyst at the RAND Corporation.
If the general who helped pull Iraq back from the brink and oversaw development of the book on counterinsurgency strategy cannot win the war in Afghanistan, maybe no one can, Munoz added.
Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee to which Petraeus was set to testify, cautioned reporters a day ahead of the confirmation hearing that support for the war among Obama’s Democrats was starting to erode.
“On the Democratic side, there’s I would say solid support, but there’s also the beginnings of some fraying of that support — and that’s true in the base, as well as in the Congress,” he told reporters.
He aimed to press Petraeus to increase the number of Afghan forces who are taking part in a campaign to secure the Taliban’s spiritual home of Kandahar, an operation seen as the linchpin of Obama’s war strategy.
After a slower-than-expected roll-out, that operation is expected to get fully under way in September and its perceived success or failure could affect Obama’s Democrats at the ballot box in November congressional elections.
The Afghan job is technically a step down for Petraeus, who used to be McChrystal’s boss.
The Army general is widely respected by Republicans and Democrats, and few expect his nomination to be held up. Obama has called for his confirmation before the Independence Day holiday.
“I think the hearing is going to be warm and very positive regarding Petraeus himself ... but in regard to the counterinsurgency strategy, no. That’s going to be different,” Munoz said. “There are going to be a lot of hard questions.”
Perceptions of a struggling US campaign have been fueled by a stronger-than-expected Taliban resistance in the southern district of Marjah — meant to be a showcase of US strategy — and the slow start to the offensive in Kandahar.
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