Could Petraeus be fall guy for Bush?
WASHINGTON (UPI) — Friends of U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus worry he may become the fall guy if U.S. strategy in Iraq should fail, The Washington Post reported Saturday. In recent speeches, President George W. Bush has called the four-star general his main man and asked critics of the war to wait until September, when Petraeus is scheduled to assess the situation in Iraq. The president is closer to the general than to Petraeus’ three predecessors in command of coalition forces in Iraq. The danger is that Petraeus will now be painted as failing to live up to expectations and become the fall guy for the administration, a retired four-star general told the Post. Petraeus, who was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in February, has already attracted some criticism from outside the administration. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said last month Petraeus isn’t in touch with what’s going on in Baghdad. Lawrence Korb, a former Pentagon official, said the administration has a histo
