Would Petraeus Help Advise a Withdrawal? Posted by Ilan Goldenberg

Had to step out for a bit.  Spencer has this important exchange between Petraeus and Tauscher

Asked by Ellen Tauscher, a California Democrat, what he would say to a new president who asked for a withdrawal plan within 60 days of taking office, Petraeus dodged like hell. Wow.

"I would back up," he said, "and ask  what's the mission, what's the desired endstate. And then you advise on resources..." Tauscher said the goal would be to keep the security gains of the surge, fix the readiness problems of the military and cut U.S. costs in Iraq.

"My response would be dialogue on what the risks would be. And, again, this is about risk." Petraeus sounded a lot like he was saying he would not be willing to advise a President Obama or a President Clinton on withdrawal  -- something that, unless he was willing to resign, is very Constitutionally dubious.

Comments

[Dan Kervick]

Dialogue? So much for the "that's above my pay grade" dodge. But perhaps Tauscher just has to put the question more bluntly:

Suppose, upon taking office, your commander-in-chief ordered you to come up with a withdrawal plan withing 60 days. What would you do?

I assume there are only two acceptable answers here for an officer in the US military: "I would obey my orders" or "I would resign my commission."