Changes
fixed a dead link and a few grammar errors
[[File:Gen. David Petraeus.jpg|Left|thumb|250px| David H. Petraeus]]
General '''David Petraeus''' is the former Director of the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] and the former head of the U.S. Central Command, the region spanning from Afghanistan to Egypt. As head of the U.S.-led multinational force in [[Iraq]] he led the successful 'Surge' strategy, destroying insurgents terrorists terrorist groups. He was unanimously confirmed by the [[US Senate]], particularly because of his long-established reputation for honesty. Speaking of honesty, Petraeus stepped down from his CIA post after getting caught in an [[adultery|extramarital affair]].
==Early Years==
Petraeus, {{age|1952|11|07}}, has a wife [[Holly Petraeus|Holly]] and two children, a son and a daughter.<ref>[http://www.dodig.mil/IGInformation/archives/LTG_Petreaus.pdf Commanding General Biography] DODIG.mil</ref>
He was born in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, to Sixtus and Miriam Petraeus. Attended and was a 1970 graduate of Cornwall Central High School. From there he attended [[West Point]] military academy. Petraeus would earn high marks, graduating top of his class. After graduating, he married [[Holly Petraeus]], the daughter of General [[William A. Knowlton]], a four-star general and NATO commander. He earned a an M.P.A. and a Ph.D. His doctoral thesis was ''The American military and the lessons of Vietnam: a study of military influence and the use of force in the post-Vietnam era., 1987.'' Later, he would author the manual devoted to counterinsurgency operations. This new counterinsurgency field manual became the backbone for an overwhelming success by the U.S. military in Iraq.
==Leading up to the Surge==
Senator [[Hillary Clinton]], who helped appoint him, called him a liar when he gave his September 2007 report on President Bush's "[[troop surge]]".<ref>When questioning him on September 11, she lectured that, "I think that the reports that you provide to us really require a willing suspension of disbelief." [https://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070918/EDITORIAL/109180036/1013&template=nextpage (Washington Times editorial)]</ref> In response to this report, Petraeus was the victim of [[liberal]] advocacy group [[MoveOn.org]]'s "vicious"<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/09/11/moveons_mccarthy_moment/ MoveOn's McCarthy moment], By Peter D. Feaver, ''Boston Globe'', September 11, 2007.</ref> attack campaign subsidized by the ''[[New York Times]]''<ref>[http://www.nypost.com/seven/09132007/news/nationalnews/times_gives_lefties_a_hefty_di.htm Time Gives Lefties a Hefty Discount for "Betray us" Ad], Charles Hurt, ''New York Post'', September 13, 2007.</ref> which contributed a monetary discount for an advertisement, without foundation, entitled "General Petraeus or General Betray Us"? The accusation of treason sparked so much controversy that even the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]]-controlled [[Senate]] passed a resolution condemning the attack on General Petraeus.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297498,00.html Senate Votes to Condemn MoveOn for Ad Attacking General Petraeus], [[FOX News]], September 20, 2007.</ref>
===The Surge: 2007-8===
President Bush removed Defense Secretary [[Donald Rumsfeld]] and tried the warfighting strategy proposed by General Petraeus, who was given additional forces. Petraeus sent in 30,000 additional combat troops under Lt. Gen. [[Ray Odierno]], who contained the insurgency and cleared the enemy out of the "belts" surrounding Baghdad. Sunni leaders and tribal chiefs, fed up with al Qaeda atrocities, set up militias in a tactical alliance with the coalition and Iraqi government forces, The long ceasefire of Moqtada al Sadr's Shia extremists helped to reduce sectarian tension. Within a few months, Baghdad had been transformed: attacks were down by 60%, civilian deaths had dropped 70% and sectarian attacks of one sort and other had fallen by a staggering 90%. The success of "The Surge" strategy made possible the achievement of Bush's timetable for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq's major cities in summer 2009.<ref>Kimberly Kagan, ''The Surge: A Military History'' (2009)</ref>
==Benghazi attack==
:''Main article:'' [[Benghazi massacre]]
On September 11, 2012, four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador [[Christopher Stevens]] were murdered in Benghazi, Libya in a terrorists attack on the US embassey embassy compound by [[Islamic]] extremists. Despite internal communications that acknowledge the terrorist nature of the attacks within minutes, the Obama administration falsely reported to the public that the attacks were instead a protest gone awry after an anti-Islamic YouTube video.
Some Obama officials become frustrated with Dir. Petraeus as he opposed efforts to edit out mentions of terrorism from the public Benghazi talking points. Petraeus deputy, Mike Morell, was given charge over the edits, and aligned himself with [[Hillary Clinton]]’s [[State Department]] against Petraeus’s desires.<ref>https://sharylattkisson.com/obama-era-surveillance-timeline/ </ref> Petraeus was blackmailed in a sex scandal and removed from his position.
Rep. Louie Gohmert, in addressing the Congress, said on the House floor,
==External links==
* [http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4587&page=0 Counterinsurgency Field Manual: Afghanistan Edition] Foreign Policy, January 2009
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20121019091901/https://www.cia.gov/about-cia/leadership/david-h.-petraeus.html CIA Website profile]{{dead link}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Petraeus, David}}
