Changes

Senator [[Hillary Clinton]], who helped appoint him, called him a liar when he gave his September 2007 report on President Bush's "[[troop surge]]".<ref>When questioning him on September 11, she lectured that, "I think that the reports that you provide to us really require a willing suspension of disbelief." [https://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070918/EDITORIAL/109180036/1013&template=nextpage (Washington Times editorial)]</ref> In response to this report, Petraeus was the victim of [[liberal]] advocacy group [[MoveOn.org]]'s "vicious"<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/09/11/moveons_mccarthy_moment/ MoveOn's McCarthy moment], By Peter D. Feaver, ''Boston Globe'', September 11, 2007.</ref> attack campaign subsidized by the ''[[New York Times]]''<ref>[http://www.nypost.com/seven/09132007/news/nationalnews/times_gives_lefties_a_hefty_di.htm Time Gives Lefties a Hefty Discount for "Betray us" Ad], Charles Hurt, ''New York Post'', September 13, 2007.</ref> which contributed a monetary discount for an advertisement, without foundation, entitled "General Petraeus or General Betray Us"? The accusation of treason sparked so much controversy that even the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]]-controlled [[Senate]] passed a resolution condemning the attack on General Petraeus.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297498,00.html Senate Votes to Condemn MoveOn for Ad Attacking General Petraeus], [[FOX News]], September 20, 2007.</ref>

Senator [[Hillary Clinton]], who helped appoint him, called him a liar when he gave his September 2007 report on President Bush's "[[troop surge]]".<ref>When questioning him on September 11, she lectured that, "I think that the reports that you provide to us really require a willing suspension of disbelief." [https://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070918/EDITORIAL/109180036/1013&template=nextpage (Washington Times editorial)]</ref> In response to this report, Petraeus was the victim of [[liberal]] advocacy group [[MoveOn.org]]'s "vicious"<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/09/11/moveons_mccarthy_moment/ MoveOn's McCarthy moment], By Peter D. Feaver, ''Boston Globe'', September 11, 2007.</ref> attack campaign subsidized by the ''[[New York Times]]''<ref>[http://www.nypost.com/seven/09132007/news/nationalnews/times_gives_lefties_a_hefty_di.htm Time Gives Lefties a Hefty Discount for "Betray us" Ad], Charles Hurt, ''New York Post'', September 13, 2007.</ref> which contributed a monetary discount for an advertisement, without foundation, entitled "General Petraeus or General Betray Us"? The accusation of treason sparked so much controversy that even the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]]-controlled [[Senate]] passed a resolution condemning the attack on General Petraeus.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297498,00.html Senate Votes to Condemn MoveOn for Ad Attacking General Petraeus], [[FOX News]], September 20, 2007.</ref>

===The Surge: 2007-8===

===The Surge: 2007-8===

President Bush removed Defense Secretary [[Donald Rumsfeld]] and tried the warfighting strategy proposed by General Petraeus, who was given additional forces.  Petraeus sent in 30,000 additional combat troops under Lt. Gen. [[Ray Odierno]], who contained the insurgency and cleared the enemy out of the "belts" surrounding Baghdad.  Sunni leaders and tribal chiefs, fed up with al Qaeda atrocities, set up militias in a tactical alliance with the coalition and Iraqi government forces, The long ceasefire of Moqtada al Sadr's Shia extremists helped to reduce sectarian tension. Within a few months, Baghdad had been transformed: attacks were down by 60%, civilian deaths had dropped 70% and sectarian attacks of one sort and other had fallen by a staggering 90%. The success of "The Surge" strategy made possible the achievement of Bush's timetable for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq's major cities in summer 2009.<ref>Kimberly Kagan, ''The Surge: A Military History'' (2009)</ref>

President Bush removed Defense Secretary [[Donald Rumsfeld]] and tried the warfighting strategy proposed by General Petraeus, who was given additional forces.  Petraeus sent in 30,000 additional combat troops under Lt. Gen. [[Ray Odierno]], who contained the insurgency and cleared the enemy out of the "belts" surrounding Baghdad.  Sunni leaders and tribal chiefs, fed up with al Qaeda atrocities, set up militias in a tactical alliance with the coalition and Iraqi government forces, The long [[ceasefire]] of Moqtada al Sadr's Shia extremists helped to reduce sectarian tension. Within a few months, Baghdad had been transformed: attacks were down by 60%, civilian deaths had dropped 70% and sectarian attacks of one sort and other had fallen by a staggering 90%. The success of "The Surge" strategy made possible the achievement of Bush's timetable for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq's major cities in summer 2009.<ref>Kimberly Kagan, ''The Surge: A Military History'' (2009)</ref>

==Benghazi attack==

==Benghazi attack==