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General David Petraeus
AN IMAGINARY FACTUAL blog of General David Petraeus, Commander, United States Central Command
Fri, 10/30/2009 - 10:37 — Dan-Chyi ChuaIn 1898, the Chinese emperor Guangxu implemented a 100-day national political, educational and cultural reform.
It failed.
In that same number of days, the Allied forces launched an offensive on the Western front that eventually ended World War One.
100 days was how long it took for an estimated one million to be massacred during in Rwanda in 1994. What can happen in the next 100 days of an individual's life?
Day 98, February 5, 2009
Thu, 02/05/2009 - 15:01 — Dan-Chyi ChuaJUST POLITICAL POSITIONING?
That is what the US Military spokesman makes of Kyrgyz parliament's planned session to discuss the closure of the Manas Air Base near the capital Bishkek.
The last couple of days have put Kyrgyzstan into the rare position of being in the news spotlight and gotten American news anchors and editors scrambling to locate the Central Asian republic, and just how do you spell it again?
Day 95, February 2, 2009
Thu, 02/05/2009 - 14:36 — Dan-Chyi ChuaCOIN-ING THE TERM
More on Petraeus's coin toss at the weekend's Superbowl.
In his piece "A coin toss in Afghanistan", published in the Global Post, CM Sennott discusses the success that Petraeus achieved in Iraq and his role in the weekend's elections actually taking place, and wonders about his next task in Iraq.
One snippet worth drawing out is this:
Day 93, January 31, 2009
Sat, 01/31/2009 - 19:35 — Dan-Chyi ChuaV.I.W - VERY IMPORTANT WEEKEND
The Iraqis go to the polls for the second time in five years. Iran celebrates the 30th anniverary of the Islamic Revolution that created the Islamic Republic it is today. Israelis meet and try to tell the presidential wannabes apart as they go on TV to state their case.
And millions of Americans will be watching General David Petraeus. He has been given the honour of conducting the coin toss that opens the SuperBowl football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals.
Day 91, January 29, 2009
Thu, 01/29/2009 - 19:15 — Dan-Chyi Chua... AFGHANS DON'T WATCH MUCH TELEVISION; THEY DON"T HAVE TELEVISIONS
" We cannot just take the tactics, techniques, and procedures that worked in Iraq and employ them in Afghanistan. How, for example, do you communicate with the Afghan people? The answer: very differently than the way you communicate wth the Iraqi people, given the much lower number of telelvisions and a rate of illiterarcy in the Afghan provinces that runs as high as 70 to 80 percent.
Day 88, January 26, 2009
Mon, 01/26/2009 - 18:20 — Dan-Chyi ChuaWHO'S THE BOSS?
"General David Petraeus, not Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, will shape American engagement with the Middle East for years to come."
Thus began the op-ed piece in the New York Times, 'Real soft power'.
The point made by the writer, Gary Schaub, assistant professor of strategy at the Air War College, is that unlike Clinton - who just recently had a change in mindset from "President" to "Secretary of State", the general has a plan for the Middle East.
Day 84, January 22, 2009
Thu, 01/22/2009 - 18:08 — Dan-Chyi ChuaINAUGURATION DAY
The 44th President of the United States of America - Barrack Obama - is sworn in Washington D.C. today.
Day 83, January 21, 2009
Wed, 01/21/2009 - 22:38 — Dan-Chyi ChuaDONE DEAL!
Fruitful week in the former Soviet Republics in Kabul.
Inform Afghan president Hamid Karzai that deals have been made on new supply routes to Afghanistan.
This will avoid the threats posed by Taliban and associated elements in Pakistan on current route.
Day 82, January 20, 2009
Tue, 01/20/2009 - 23:30 — Dan-Chyi ChuaPAKISTAN
Meet senior Pakistani civilian and military leaders in Islamabad to discuss issues of mutual concern.
List:
President Asif Ali Zadari,
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani,
Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ashfaq Kayani.
Day 81, January 19, 2009
Tue, 01/20/2009 - 22:26 — Dan-Chyi ChuaAND THE AMERICANS REMAIN IN KYRGYZSTAN
For a while now there has been a buzz that Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was going to close the US army base at Mana Airport in his country, if he could get economic and political support from Russia. This would mean the shutting down of the only US base in Central Asia, and an easing of Russian unease over US presence in its former republics. Moscow was reported to have recently offered $2 billion in investments to the Central Asian state.
