He is a 'sly sort,' isn't he?
He was the man tapped to lead the charge into Yemen after the Fort Hood masacre. One would think he took it personally.
US Central Command, AKA "CENTCOM."
http://www.centcom.mil/
What is US CENTCOM? It is the primary headquarters to intelligence and strategy for the Middle East. It could be argued where there is a 'purpose' there will always be war. US CENTCOM answers directly to the Secretary of Defense.
Is it important? Should the USA consider reducing its focus and need? Good set of questions if one is seeking peace and wishing 'the purpose' for war would end. The real question is does violence in the Middle East exist because of the focus of The West or is the focus of the West in existence because of the violence in the Middle East?
US CENTCOM was begun in 1983, two years after President Regan took office. That is all just food for thought. I doubt seriously US CENTCOM will be decommissioned anytime soon, but, it is interesting to realize how a focus to USA policy starts and continues.
Petraeus on torture :
..."I have always been on the record, in fact, since 2003, with the concept of living our values. And I think that whenever we've perhaps taken expedient measures, they've turned around and bitten us in the backside. We decided early on, in the 101st airborne division, we just said, we decided to obey the Geneva Conventions....
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/21/petraeus-takes-on-cheneyi_n_470608.html
Petraeus on Petraeus :
...“Gen. Petraeus has not met with former VP Cheney to discuss a possible 2012 presidential nomination. Nor has he exchanged anything other than pleasantries with the former VP in their one or two chance encounters since VP Cheney left office,” Col. Erik O. Gunhus, Petraeus’ spokesman, wrote in an e-mail to POLITICO. “Gen. Petraeus has stated on the record numerous times that he has no interest in, nor intention of, running for political office.”...
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37698.html
Petraeus on spying :
...Gen. David Petraeus signed an order in September authorizing Special Operations forces to deploy to allied and hostile nations in the Mideast, Central Asia and the Horn of Africa to conduct surveillance missions and work with local forces, two officials said on condition of anonymity because the document is classified....
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ilAE1hsUQCIouAwfNxYVEh5AcdzAD9FU1NB80
FORT HOOD — Defense attorneys for Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the Fort Hood psychiatrist charged in a deadly shooting spree here last fall, won a four-month delay Tuesday in a hearing that could lead to his court-martial.
Army Col. James Pohl ruled in favor of the defense, which said it had not received the documents it needed. Witnesses will be called starting Oct. 4.
“We got what we wanted,” retired Army Col. John P. Galligan, lead attorney for Hasan, said after the session.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7032094.html
...The Special Operations capabilities requested by the White House go beyond unilateral strikes and include the training of local counterterrorism forces and joint operations with them. In Yemen, for example, "we are doing all three," the official said. Officials who spoke about the increased operations were not authorized to discuss them on the record....
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/04/politics/washingtonpost/main6547543.shtml
