Political Quotes

“The Senate will soon vote on the nomination of GEN David Petraeus, who is once again stepping forward to render invaluable service to our Nation, as he has so often in the past. Certainly the events that bring General Petraeus to this moment were unforeseen. But we can be certain that when confirmed, he will bring highly experienced leadership and a profound understanding of the President's strategy in Afghanistan which he helped shape as Commander of the U.S. Central Command. General Petraeus confirmed yesterday before the Armed Services Committee that he fully supports the President's strategy. That strategy includes a surge of U.S. combat troops who will be in place later this year. That strategy includes a counterinsurgency campaign focused on securing the safety of Afghanistan's population and pursuing the insurgents who threaten that safety. The President's strategy, which General Petraeus supports, includes the setting of a July 2011 date to begin reductions of U.S. combat troops as a way of focusing the attention of the Afghan Government and military on preparing Afghan forces to take greater responsibility for the security of their own people. I have long believed that focusing on building the capacity of the Afghan security forces to secure their nation's future is critical to the success of our mission in Afghanistan. General Petraeus agrees.”