General David Petraeus gets the green light to manage military operations ins Iraq.
The US Senate gave unanimous approval Friday to US President George W Bush's choice of a top commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus.
With the approval, Petraeus also received a fourth star designation.
...nearly every member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee warmly endorsed Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, the new U.S. commander in Iraq, and a number wished him success or "Godspeed" in his mission.
On the other hand
...some of the same senators voted for a resolution that opposes the increase of troops for Gen. Petraeus's command -- even though the general testified that he could not accomplish his mission without the additional forces and hinted that such a resolution could encourage the enemy. Such is the muddle of Congress on Iraq: A majority may soon go on record opposing the new offensive in Baghdad even while encouraging the commander who leads it.
Tuesday Senators listened to testimony by General Petraeus about how Iraq is winnable. About how he needed the proposed 21,500 new troops to do it, and how a Senate resolution opposing Bush's new plan would be detrimental to that effort.
The Senators also wished the General luck in his mission.
On Wednesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, run by Democrats, passed to the floor of the Senate a resolution contradicting, and undermining the General in his mission.
And today, the Senate overwhelmingly approved the General to run the very mission of which they disapprove.
More importantly, they are set to make his job immeasurably more difficult.
Maybe that's why they thought he needed luck:
'Cause they certainly aren't going to give him any help.
