Gen. Petraeus doesn't deserve insults
Apolitical movement has placed ads in the media aimed at discrediting Gen. [David] Petraeus by referring to him as "General Betray Us" for his testimony before Congress on troop withdrawals from Iraq. These ads don't sit well with Americans, because it seems that the opposing political factions can further their interests without insulting the general who is highly decorated and highly regarded for his services to this country over many years and has expressed his views and opinions, which may not please everyone. Eventually time will tell whether his views are correct or need modification.

If troop withdrawals were to be the only objective, chaos can be expected in Iraq, in which the different religious factions, who hate each other more than they value their own lives, can be expected to plan to destroy each other. Also, Iraq's rich oil resources, of which little is heard in this conflict, may fall into enemy hands. Such events would not serve the U.S. interests.

The U.S. is disappointed in not having won the war to this date. However, since the U.S. will not take anything from Iraq after leaving, there is nothing to win in or from this war. We don't even have a good definition for "winning the war." If it were truly a war, we could not really expect to conquer the land and its resources with the 140,000 troops in Iraq, considering that it took over 16 million troops to win World War II.

Max Fogiel Highland Park