Those Critics Are Silent

David Petraeus

General David Petraeus's tenure in Iraq draws to a close at the end of the month, and it's a measure of his success that he is departing to far less political fanfare than when his tour began. In September 2007, MoveOn.org called him General "Betray-Us," and Hillary Clinton said his claims of progress weren't credible. Now those critics are silent.

When General Petraeus took command 18 months ago, Iraq was sliding into chaos, and President Bush's "surge" was the last chance to bring the country under control. Last April, Majority Leader Harry Reid confidently declared, "The war is lost," and it would have been, if Mr. Bush had taken Mr. Reid's advice. Instead, he stuck with General Petraeus's counterinsurgency strategy, and now violence of every measure has been tamped down; Sunni-Shiite political reconciliation is underway; the Iraqi Army is growing in expertise; and the U.S. and Nouri al-Maliki's government are finishing negotiations toward a long-term security agreement.

However impressive, such gains remain fragile, as General Petraeus is noting in exit interviews this week. "It's not durable yet. It's not self-sustaining. You know -- touch wood -- there is still a lot of work to be done," he told Dexter Filkins of the New York Times.

American military engagement is crucial in the months and years ahead, and will fall now to the capable hands of Lieutenant General Ray Odierno, General Petraeus's chief deputy and co-prosecutor of the anti-al Qaeda success of the last 18 months. General Petraeus will leave Iraq to take control of Central Command, which includes Iraq and the wider Middle East theater including Afghanistan and Iran. With the resurgence of the Taliban, Americans are fortunate the General has signed up for more hard duty.

Hear, hear.