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" We need to learn from our experiences and take responsibilities for our actions and drive on. "
David Petraeus
Actions
Need
Drive
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" During the surge in Iraq, we were able to roll back the tide of al-Qaeda and associated insurgents because we succeeded in mobilizing Iraqis - especially Sunni Arabs - to join us in fighting against the largely Sunni extremist networks in their midst. "
David Petraeus
Against
Us
Tide
" Mubarak would meet with me when I was at Central Command. He would lean and put his hand on my knee, as if a father figure, and say, 'General, don't ever forget the Arab Street. Listen to the Arab Street.' I'd like to go to him now and say, 'Mr. President, what about that Arab Street, what's that all about?' "
David Petraeus
Me
Father
Street
" We cannot kill or capture our way out of an industrial-strength insurgency. "
David Petraeus
Out
Way
Our
" Needless to say, it was the greatest of privileges to serve with the selfless men and women - Iraqi and American and those of our coalition partners, civilian as well as military - who did the hard, dangerous work of the surge. There seldom was an easy period; each day was tough. "
David Petraeus
Work
Women
Tough
" Leadership is an individual sport, one that has to be fine-tuned to each of the people that reports to you. Leaders also need to provide the direction, energy, encouragement and inspiration for each person who reports directly to the leader as well as for the overall organization. "
David Petraeus
Leadership
You
People
" I think it's reality that Iran is going to have influence in Iraq. All elements of Iraq accepted that. "
David Petraeus
Influence
Iran
Reality
" There is nothing I can do to undo what I did. I can only say again how sorry I am to those I let down and then strive to go forward with a greater sense of humility and purpose, and with gratitude to those who stood with me during a very difficult chapter in my life. "
David Petraeus
I Am
Life
Sorry
" We periodically note that there are no silver bullets, there are no magic formulas, there's no single action or component of the overall... comprehensive civil-military approach. "
David Petraeus
Magic
Action
Single
" Over time, the desire of Iraqis to contribute to their own security has manifested itself in citizens volunteering for the police, the Army, and concerned local citizen programs. "
David Petraeus
Desire
Time
Security
" Like a nuclear disaster, the fallout from the meltdown of Syria threatens to be with us for decades, and the longer it is permitted to continue, the more severe the damage will be. "
David Petraeus
More
Like
Us
" 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
World
War
Democracy
" 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
Down
Society
Place
" It wasn't just Shia that would go to Tehran and see the commander of the Quds Force and others and the legitimate government leaders. It was also Kurdish leaders and Sunni Arabs who would even link up with Qassim Suleimani, the commander of the Quds Force - maybe not in Tehran but in Turkey or somewhere else. "
David Petraeus
Somewhere
See
Others
" The challenge of Mosul and Nineveh is the considerable number of ethnic groups, religious sects, tribes, and other elements that make up the province. "
David Petraeus
Ethnic
Up
Religious
" The Middle East is not part of the world that plays by Las Vegas rules: What happens in the Middle East is not going to stay in the Middle East. "
David Petraeus
Vegas
Going
Middle
" As you will recall, soon after the 9/11 attacks, an international coalition led by the United States conducted an impressive campaign to defeat the Taliban, al Qaeda, and other associated extremist groups in Afghanistan. "
David Petraeus
Impressive
Campaign
Defeat
" The biggest of the big ideas that guided the strategy during the surge was explicit recognition that the most important terrain in the campaign in Iraq was the human terrain - the people - and our most important mission was to improve their security. "
David Petraeus
Ideas
Recognition
Strategy
" Nothing means more to those in harm's way than the knowledge that their country appreciates their sacrifices and those of their families. "
David Petraeus
Way
Knowledge
More
" Leading the coalition military effort during the surge in Iraq in 2007 and 2008 was the most important endeavor - and greatest challenge - of my 37 years in uniform. "
David Petraeus
Important
Effort
Challenge
" 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
He
Me
Professional
" Rumors of the American demise... have been greatly exaggerated. "
David Petraeus
Demise
Been
American
" The proximate cause of Iraq's unraveling was the increasing authoritarian, sectarian, and corrupt conduct of the Iraqi government and its leader after the departure of the last U.S. combat forces in 2011. "
David Petraeus
Cause
Last
Government
" I don't comment directly on actions or statements of candidates. "
David Petraeus
Statements
Actions
Candidates
" I don't vote. "
David Petraeus
Vote
" The idea is to go to bed every night with fewer enemies than you had in the morning. "
David Petraeus
Morning
Enemies
Bed
" 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
Difficult
Process
Challenges
" I've truly tried to be apolitical. "
David Petraeus
Apolitical
Tried
Truly
" The situation in Iraq was dire at the end of 2006, when President George W. Bush decided to implement the surge and selected me to command it. Indeed, when I returned to Baghdad in early February 2007, I found the conditions there to be even worse than I had expected. "
David Petraeus
Me
Situation
President
" Counter-insurgency, as you know, is a roller-coaster affair. "
David Petraeus
You
Affair
Roller-Coaster
" I really started to get a sense of how, if you will, special Zarqawi was, I guess, sort of midway through 2004. "
David Petraeus
Started
Will
Sense