President Obama and Gen. David Petraeus appeared together at a White House press conference June 23 when it was announced that Petraeus would be taking over command of US forces in Afghanistan. Larry Downing/ReutersObama And Petraeus: A Wary Relationship -- Washington Post
Everyone believes the most important relationship in Washington next year will be between President Obama and House Republican Leader John Boehner. A case can be made that equally important will be the relationship between the president and his commander in Afghanistan, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus.
Bob Woodward's powerful new book, "Obama's Wars," underscores the delicacy of the relationship between Obama and Petraeus by highlighting the tensions that have long existed between the two ambitious and competitive men.
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My Comment: President Obama comes from a political history and background that is deeply suspicious of the military complex, and more importantly, the policy that has involved America in multiple wars since 9/11. General Petraeus on the other hand has a long history in knowing how to interact and communicate with politicians, and to forward the military's viewpoints when it came to important policy decisions.
Afghanistan will be the "breaking of the camel's back" on this relationship. General Petraeus .... and everyone else in the military .... knows that any preemptive move out of Afghanistan when the security situation on the ground does not warrant it will result in disaster. The White House has a different point of view .... with Presidential elections are only 2 years away, any sizeable US military presence in Afghanistan will only undermine the US President's support among his anti-war base in what is expected to be a difficult Presidential run for him.
Damn if you do .... damn if you don't .... and for President Obama he will push for a withdrawal of US forces by the end of next year. For General Petraeus .... he will be positioned to continue a war policy that he knows cannot succeed .... and what he will do then will be anyone's guess.