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Petraeus praises U.K. Iraq contribution
London, (UPI) -- U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus praised the United Kingdom's role in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Iraq, observers said.
Speaking in London Wednesday, the commander of U.S. Central Command emphasized the importance of continued U.K. support for the coalition to also succeed in Afghanistan, the Armed Forces Press Service said Thursday.
"Now that we are taking the lessons learned in Iraq and using them, with great care, to inform our campaign in Afghanistan," Petraeus told the Royal United Services Institute, an independent defense and security "think tank," "U.K. leaders and troopers are again making an extensive contribution to the effort to achieve our common goals there."
"It's clear that, as was the case in Iraq, the scale of the British contribution in Afghanistan is such that the coalition cannot succeed without you," he said.
Petraeus said he understood that Great Britain faced "touch choices" in allocating military resources in a time of budget deficits.
"We in the United States face similar challenges," he said. "But ... we, together, have considerable mutual objectives in remaining engaged … where the interests we share and the common threats we face are significant."
London, (UPI) -- U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus praised the United Kingdom's role in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Iraq, observers said.
Speaking in London Wednesday, the commander of U.S. Central Command emphasized the importance of continued U.K. support for the coalition to also succeed in Afghanistan, the Armed Forces Press Service said Thursday.
"Now that we are taking the lessons learned in Iraq and using them, with great care, to inform our campaign in Afghanistan," Petraeus told the Royal United Services Institute, an independent defense and security "think tank," "U.K. leaders and troopers are again making an extensive contribution to the effort to achieve our common goals there."
"It's clear that, as was the case in Iraq, the scale of the British contribution in Afghanistan is such that the coalition cannot succeed without you," he said.
Petraeus said he understood that Great Britain faced "touch choices" in allocating military resources in a time of budget deficits.
"We in the United States face similar challenges," he said. "But ... we, together, have considerable mutual objectives in remaining engaged … where the interests we share and the common threats we face are significant."