OTTAWA – Retired U.S. general David Petraeus, the architect of America’s surge in Iraq in 2007, says the current U.S.-led coalition there, which includes Canadian fighter jets, has halted the momentum of the Islamic State.Though he ruled out any future need for Western ground troops, Petraeus said a Western victory over the Islamic extremists in Iraq and Syria could take years.Petraeus offered that view on Wednesday outside a meeting where he spoke about a U.S. think-tank report he co-authored about Canada-U.S.-Mexico relations.Petraeus said he’s optimistic because of the recent military gains by Iraqi ground forces in northern Iraq and near …read more
Source: National Newswatch
