'There is some modest progress. But at the end of the day, the country is not what we hoped it would be.'
U.S. commander in Iraq General David Petraeus speaks during a meeting with tribal members of the awakening council, Dec. 13, 2007 in Baghdad.On the 20th anniversary of the allied invasion of Iraq that marked the start of the eight-year conflict, there are still some deep reflections and questions about the toll of the battles., who was in charge of commanding the multinational forces, about the war, 20 years later.
U.S. commander in Iraq General David Petraeus speaks during a meeting with tribal members of the awakening council, Dec. 13, 2007 in Baghdad.BYRON PITTS: General, thank you so much for joining us. We're grateful for your time. First question to you, sir. We just heard aboutthat these veterans of the Iraq War are still going through. Do you think the U.S.
GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS: I don't think we can ever do enough, frankly, for those who volunteered at a time of war, served and often did multiple tours in Iraq or in Afghanistan. They really should be regarded as America's new greatest generation. And frankly, I feel a deep appreciation, [and] personal gratitude for the opportunity to have served with these great young men and women in uniform, again, all of them volunteers at a time of war.
PITTS: In 2007, you were appointed to command the multinational force in Iraq and put in place plans for a troop surge of 30,000 soldiers. That year would prove to be one of the deadliest on record. You were sharply criticized at the time for the troop surge. When you look back on it, do you wish you'd done things differently?We drove violence down by some 85 or 90% during the 18 months of the surge, and I commanded it a bit longer than that. We gave the Iraqis a wonderful new opportunity.
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