[Marxism] Petraeus's superior called him "an ass-kissing little chickenshit"

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

U.S.-IRAQ:  Fallon Derided Petraeus, Opposed the Surge
By Gareth Porter*

WASHINGTON, Sep 12 (IPS) - In sharp contrast to the lionisation of Gen. 
David Petraeus by members of the U.S. Congress during his testimony this 
week, Petraeus's superior, Admiral William Fallon, chief of the Central 
Command (CENTCOM), derided Petraeus as a sycophant during their first 
meeting in Baghdad last March, according to Pentagon sources familiar 
with reports of the meeting.

Fallon told Petraeus that he considered him to be "an ass-kissing little 
chickenshit" and added, "I hate people like that", the sources say. That 
remark reportedly came after Petraeus began the meeting by making 
remarks that Fallon interpreted as trying to ingratiate himself with a 
superior.

That extraordinarily contentious start of Fallon's mission to Baghdad 
led to more meetings marked by acute tension between the two commanders. 
Fallon went on develop his own alternative to Petraeus's recommendation 
for continued high levels of U.S. troops in Iraq during the summer.

The enmity between the two commanders became public knowledge when the 
Washington Post reported Sep. 9 on intense conflict within the 
administration over Iraq. The story quoted a senior official as saying 
that referring to "bad relations" between them is "the understatement of 
the century".

Fallon's derision toward Petraeus reflected both the CENTCOM commander's 
personal distaste for Petraeus's style of operating and their 
fundamental policy differences over Iraq, according to the sources.

full: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=39235

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