Petraeus to change rules of engagement

June 25: US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said that the new US commander in Afghanistan Gen David Petraeus will have more ‘flexibility’ than his predecessor in drawing up his strategy for defeating the militants.

Gen Petraeus will “have the flexibility to look at the campaign plan and the approach and all manner of things when he gets to Afghanistan”, Mr Gates told a Pentagon briefing on Thursday.

Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen told the same briefing that Gen Petraeus would be able to make tactical changes.

And the US media reported on Friday that one of the first things the general would do was to modify the controversial rules of engagement to make it easier for US troops to engage in combat with the enemy. US military officers in Afghanistan often complain that strict rules – aimed at preventing civilian casualties – have effectively forced the troops to fight with one hand tied behind their backs.

Secretary Gates also indicated that President Obama’s decision to send a senior and experienced general like Mr Petraeus to Afghanistan showed that the administration too was keen on ending this conflict as quickly as possible but without causing further chaos in the region.

Mr Gates said that Gen Petraeus’s close relationship with the Pakistani military and his familiarity with the present set-up in Afghanistan were the key reasons for his appointment.

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