Gen. Petraeus, Mosul’s ‘King David,’ being considered for top US diplomat role

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Retired General David Petraeus met Donald Trump as the president-elect is rumoured to be considering him for the position of Secretary of State in his administration.  

Following an hour long meeting with Trump on Monday Petraeus claimed the incoming president had a “great grasp of a variety of the challenges that are out there.” 

“Very good conversation and we’ll see where it goes from here,” Petraeus said. 

Trump was equally pleased with the meeting. “Just met with General Petraeus--was very impressed!” Trump tweeted. 

Petraeus served in Iraq as a four-star general during the war years and was responsible for the Sunni Awakening campaign. This effectively saw the US guarantee Iraq’s Sunni minority protection if they turned against al-Qaeda, which they did, afflicting a fatal blow against the militant group. 

Petraeus’ efforts were later undone by former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki shortly after the US pulled out of Iraq in 2011. 

Early in the Iraq War, when he was a major general, Petraeus cleared and held Mosul from militants, securing it to the extent that businesses and factories were able to open. One of the major projects he helped bring about was restoring and reopening the University of Mosul.

These works earned him the nickname “King David” of Mosul. However, less than a year after he left, instability once again began to plague Mosul and the Sunni Arab police force Petraeus had helped establish was overwhelmed by militant attacks. 

After Petraeus became a general, he was named head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) but resigned in 2012 when he was found to be having an affair with his biographer. As part of the scandal he also pleaded guilty to mishandling classified information. 

Iraq has high hopes from Trump’s administration in the war against ISIS. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi spoke positively of his relationship with the incoming president. 

“I think it is in the interest of the United States and Iraq to keep this relationship,” Abadi told the Associated Press. “In my telephone call with President-elect Trump, he assured me that the US support will not only continue, but it is going to be increased. So, I think I am going to be looking forward to more US support.”

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