Petraeus on Meet the Press: We’ve only just begun (video)

David Petraeus is the country's most famous and respected general since Stormin' Norman Schwartzkopf 19 years ago, buffeted by his leadership of the surge in Iraq that slowed down the trajectory of violence and uncertainty (though whether it is a "success" is probably still too early to say as U.S. troops levels begin to scale down).

The war in Afghanistan, most experts say, is not going well.  That was the case before the former commander of the war there, General Stanley McChrystal, was sacked earlier this summer after he and his close aides made disrespectful comments about President Obama.

On Meet The Press, Petraeus began his PR offensive by talking about the fact that  reduction of American troops a year from now is "conditions based." And what of the corruption of the Karzai-led government in Afghanistan?  He began his formal sit-down with Gregory by discussing what the American public is missing when they say (according to polls) that they don't think the U.S. is winning the war. (Some critics aren't buying what Petraeus is selling.  For a visceral counter-attack, read Derrick Crowe on the Huffington Post's site.)

MR. GREGORY:  What is it that the American public is missing?

GEN. PETRAEUS:  Well, I think it’s incumbent on us to show greater progress, to show sustained progress.  I would argue that the progress, if you will, really just began this spring.  Late spring was when we started to see that the operations in central Helmand Province truly were starting to improve security for the people, an up and down process, to be sure.  Taliban fighting back very hard as we took away very important sanctuaries from, from him.  And now you can see it expanding over into Kandahar Province—again, another tough fight—and in other areas around the country, in southern Herat Province, out in the northwest, up in the north.  Again, all of these, though, are small pockets of progress.

MR. GREGORY:  But can’t you understand, the American people for nine years have been hearing about incremental progress in Afghanistan and remain confused, frustrated and not invested?

GEN. PETRAEUS:  I can understand it.  In fact, that’s why, though, I’ve sought to explain that, over the last 18 months or so, what we’ve sought to do in Afghanistan is get the inputs right for the first time.

There's also the problem with a lack of confidence in Afghan's President, Hamid Karzai. Remember when former Ambassador Peter Galbraith said on CNN that he thought Karzai might be using drugs to explain his eccentric behavior?

David Gregory didn't "go there," but he did ask Petraeus how long the U.S. would "deal"with Karzai before we throw our hands up.  Petraeus looked quizzically back at Gregory, and said that Karzai was the democratically elected leader of Afghanistan, and the U.S. wouldn't have much more to add about that:

MR. GREGORY:  But is he a real partner of the United States?

GEN. PETRAEUS:  Well, I think he is.  And beyond that, he is the sovereign president of his country.  So…

MR. GREGORY:  But that may be the case, and disagreements are one thing, but the reality is that if his government is rife with corruption, corruption is fueling the insurgency and basically fueling the enemies that we’re fighting.

GEN. PETRAEUS:  And I think he’s been quite forthright about recognizing that.  He has stated repeatedly, most recently, of course, just a couple weeks ago in the Kabul conference, very publicly and openly, about the various activities that need to, to take place to combat the kinds of corruption and other activities, some predatory practices, if you will, of local governance and so forth, so that, that indeed you have to get rid of this to achieve legitimacy in the eyes of the people of the Afghan government.  He’s aware of that.  If you look at the number of individuals who have been either fired or arrested and tried for corruption, it is a very growing list, and there are some others that are pending as well.

MR. GREGORY:  But real red flags have been raised by his interference with this anti-corruption task force.  There’s not a resolution to this yet, but is this something that you’re watching very closely?

GEN. PETRAEUS:  Oh, it is, certainly.  And, and, and he knows that.  We’ve talked to him about that.  Again, he had some issues about the legal basis, sovereign, sovereignty and so forth and the Western involvement with it.  Some of those understandable, but very clearly we have to watch this.  And, and again, that’s—that is exactly what is going on.

MR. GREGORY:  This may sound unrealistic, but isn’t it fair to ask, is, is there a statute of limitations on this guy?  Is there a cutoff point for him where he either is with the program, with us or against us?

GEN. PETRAEUS:  Well, I mean, he’s been elected for a term of office, and he will be the president during that term of office.

MR. GREGORY:  But, but, but sponsored by us.  I mean, without us, he can’t stay alive, can he?

GEN. PETRAEUS:  Well, and the international community writ large.  And, again, certainly the international community has every right, if you will, to engage with him on these kinds of issues, and that’s what—exactly what’s going on.

MR. GREGORY:  But is there, is there a cutoff point for him in your mind?

GEN. PETRAEUS:  Oh, no.  I mean, again, this is a process.  Again, this is a, a case in which each side has concerns and has, I mean, there are different pressures on all of the partners involved in this, not just the U.S. and Afghan partners, but the other international partners, our other diplomatic colleagues and so forth, and, and all of that then gets dealt with.

This article appears in Aug 12-18, 2010.