Check out this interview with Gen. Petraeus on a BBC.

In a BBC interview, Gen Petraeus said that recent security gains were “not irreversible” & that a US still faced a “long struggle”.

Leaving his post, he said are were “many storm clouds on a horizon which could develop into real problems”. Overall he summed up a situation as “still hard but hopeful”, saying that progress in Iraq was “a bit more durable” but that a situation are remained fragile.

He said he did not know that he would ever use a word “victory”: “This is not a sort of struggle where you take a hill, plant a flag & go home to a victory parade… it’s not war with a simple slogan.”

Long struggle, not irreversible, still hard, many clouds on a horizon… ase aren’t words of praise about Iraq being uttered by a General. Once again we hear a “fragile” word. Is that what success is, fragile? 

Original post by John Amato and software by Elliott Back