David Petraeus famous quotes

04-29-2025

The art of coalition command - whether it is here in Afghanistan, whether it was in Iraq or in Bosnia or in Haiti - is to take the resources you are provided with, understand what the strengths and weaknesses are and to employ them to the best overall effect.
-- David Petraeus

#Art #Iraq #Weakness
Items of interest will be located, identified, monitored, and remotely controlled through technologies such as radio-frequency identification, sensor networks, tiny embedded servers, and energy harvesters - all connected to the next-generation internet using abundant, low-cost, and high-power computing.
-- David Petraeus

#Technology #Energy #Generations
Every civilian's death diminishes us, collectively.
-- David Petraeus
I will not ever run for political office. I can assure you.
-- David Petraeus

#Running #Office #Political
I'm living the dream.
-- David Petraeus

#Dream #Living The Dream
President Obama has said that our aspirations should be realistic. We are not going to turn one of the poorest countries in the world, that was plunged into 30 years of war, into an advanced, industrialized, Western-style democracy. What we want to achieve is Afghanistan's capacity to secure and govern itself.
-- David Petraeus

#Country #War #Years
Reconciliation is what takes place, of course, at higher levels. President Karzai has been very clear about the red lines for reconciliation, accept the constitution, lay down their weapons, cut their ties with al Qaeda and essentially become productive or at least participating members of society in that regard.
-- David Petraeus

#Cutting #Ties #President
The progress in Iraq is still fragile. And it could still be reversed. Iraq still faces innumerable challenges, and they will be evident during what will likely be a difficult process as the newly elected Council of Representatives selects the next prime minister, president, and speaker of the council.
-- David Petraeus

#Iraq #Challenges #Progress
Syria has allowed its soil to be transited by foreign fighters who have come from a variety of source countries in the Gulf area and in the - in North African countries.There are some signs that that may have been reduced somewhat in the last couple of months. We need to watch that a bit and see if that is the case.
-- David Petraeus

#Country #Couple #Watches
Iran, as we have already discussed, has carried out very, very harmful activities inside Iraq. Funding, trainings, arming and, in some cases, even directing the activities of the special groups associated with the Jaish al-Mahdi and the Sadr Militia.
-- David Petraeus

#Iran #Iraq #Training
After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair.
-- David Petraeus

#Years #Married #Judgment
The president and I sat down in the Oval Office, and he expressed very clearly that what he wants from me is my best professional military advice.
-- David Petraeus

#Military #Office #Advice
When you enlisted into the armed forces you swore to support and defend a Constitution that did not yet fully apply to you. You chose to endure the same sacrifices as your fellow comrades in arms to preserve the freedom of a land that was not yet fully yours. You accepted that you might have to pay the ultimate price on behalf of a nation to which you did not fully belong. Now, you will officially become citizens of the United States, a country to which each of you has already borne true faith and allegiance in your hearts and your deeds.
-- David Petraeus

#Country #Heart #Sacrifice
This cannot be the United States being the air force for Shia militias, or a Shia on Sunni Arab fight.
-- David Petraeus

#Military #Fighting #Air
I just don't know whether it was all destroyed years ago - I mean, there's no question that there were chemical weapons years ago - whether they were destroyed right before the war, (or) whether they're still hidden.
-- David Petraeus

#War #Mean #Years
I think no commander ever is going to come out and say, 'I'm confident that we can do this.
-- David Petraeus

#Thinking
The fact is that Iran doesn't want to see the Taliban come back any more than do most Afghan citizens.
-- David Petraeus

#Iran #Citizens #Want
If you look at casualties, you find countries that had much higher loss rates per capita than the US. Denmark comes to mind, the United Kingdom, they have suffered heavy losses at various points, the Germans as well.
-- David Petraeus

#Country #Loss #Mind
If you don't want to have to kill or capture every bad guy in the country, you have to reintegrate those who are willing to be reconciled and become part of the solution instead of a continued part of the problem. And then, above all, the resources.
-- David Petraeus

#Country #Guy #Want
People often ask, why aren't you reading about what it is you're working on right now? And the truth is, you only get three pages a night before your eyelids close.
-- David Petraeus

#Reading #Night #People
I am not a politician, and I will never be, and I say that with absolute conviction.
-- David Petraeus

#Politician #Conviction
Political progress will only take place if sufficient security exists.
-- David Petraeus

#Political #Progress #Security

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