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July 08, 2008
General Petraeus Draws Bigger Crowd Then Angelina Jolie
General David Petraeus beats megastar Angeline Jolie as Iraq crowd-puller
If Santa ever set up his Christmas grotto in a war zone, it might look something like this.
Hundreds of men and women, many of them armed, line up in a marble hall inside one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces, waiting patiently for more than half an hour for their hero to turn up.
The object of so much adulation is General David Petraeus, the 55-year-old commander of US and allied forces in Iraq. General Petraeus, widely credited with the military strategy that has clawed Iraq back from civil war to a semblance of stability, is in such demand for photographs that his aides have had to organise special mass photo-ops every six weeks inside the Green Zone and at the other huge US base at Baghdad airport.
“He's a real leader at a great time,” said Master Sergeant John Fife of the US Air Force, who had brought a group of comrades and local Iraqi staff across the vast fortified compound for the chance to have their picture taken with the general, who devised Iraq's counter-insurgency strategy.
It's like being at Macy's again when I was nine with the Easter Bunny,” the sergeant admitted. Beside him one of his Iraqi staff, who for security reasons identified himself only as Salaam, described the occasion as a great honour. “I just want to say, ‘Thank you.' This man has done great things for my country,” he said, although he confessed that for his own safety he would hang the picture on his office wall in the Green Zone, rather than in his house in the “Red Zone”, the military term for the rest of Baghdad.
Despite the progress Iraq has made under General Petraeus, Salaam said it would be a long time before he risked hanging such a memento at home; if neighbours knew he worked for the Americans he could be killed by militias or kidnapped by criminals.
The crowd of more than 500 people was a cross-section of life in the Green Zone, the complex that has occupied the heart of the capital for the past five years: American soldiers with assault rifles; British, Australian and Italian troops; security contractors in wrap-around sunglasses; embassy officials in suits; cleaners; men in running gear with .45 automatics on their hips; and a woman dressed as though for cocktail party. All file past the commander, who shakes their hands and poses for the army photographer.
General Petraeus has often said that he has no ambition to run for public office, but this would be perfect training for any campaign trail. His smile never wavers throughout the 45-minute ritual, which, with military precision, gets more than 500 people across the wooden podium in a cafeteria of the Republican Palace.
Only at the very end does he look slightly bemused, when he finds himself posing in a group photo with eight Sri Lankan waiters, far from home and looking for a little celebrity action to relieve the tedium of their daily grind.
Then he steps off the stage and marches briskly back to the business of running the war.
Wild Thing's comment.........
This cannot be!! LOL
Didn't that witch Hillary declare that listening to General Petraeus testify about US performance under the 'surge' required a "suspension of disbelief"?????
I want to see every vicious Rat-weasel traitor driven out of office forever. Too much to hope for, but I can dream can't I?
I posted before about how Angelina Jolie went to visit the troops and to thank them. How she is pro gun and also how she has donated $1 Million to help the Iraqi children. She seems to be a good person.
But the thing is for these men and women that get a chance to shake the hand of General Petraeus and have a chance to exchange words with him had to have been really something to look forward to.
Posted by Wild Thing at July 8, 2008 02:45 AM
Comments
I am glad we and the troops now have a heroic commanding officer. You notice Gen Petraeus doesn't feel the need to do the tough guy, George Patton routine to impres the troops. All he has to do is win battles and show his appreciation to the troops. I would love to have a conversation with him.
I also would not mind a few minutes visiting with Angeline Jolie. It is obvious she has her heart in the right place.
Posted by: TomR at July 8, 2008 04:56 PM
Tom, I would love for both of those things to happen. For you and the Gen. to meet and for Angeline Julie to meet you too. That would be great!
Posted by: Wild Thing at July 8, 2008 11:39 PM
Is it too late for the Republicans to put up a Petraeus/Jolie ticket? I'll sure contribute all I can.
Posted by: Horace at July 10, 2008 11:20 AM
Horace, giggle.... I would love to be able to vote for the Gen. and sure Jolie too would be ok. Better then Michelle Obama or Hillary. haha
Posted by: Wild Thing at July 10, 2008 06:05 PM
