General David Petraeus Bids Farewell To Arms on 4th of July

Fourth of July in Afghanistan

General David Petraeus, the outgoing leader of the international coalition in Afghanistan, celebrated his last Fourth of July on duty on the territory of Afghanistan by talking to the American troops in the east of this country.

Petraeus spoke to 235 troops reenlisting in Kandahar that some progress has been realized in the battle against terrorism but that much more is to be done in the Asian country involved in war for almost ten years.

He praised, at the 235th anniversary of the United States, the dedication of the troops by reminding them that at the beginning of the conflict they had raised their right hand and said “Send me,” and that now they were raising the right hand to say “Send me again!”

Gen. Petraeus Amid Marines on 4th of July

General Petraues will leave the army in order to become the next head of the Central Intelligence Agency, and will be replaced by Marine Lt. Gen. John Allen, who will have the task of implementing the withdrawal of 33,000 troops this year, as promised by the President of the Republic Barack Obama.

The general will speak later on Monday in the north of Kabul, at the Bagram Air Field.

On Sunday, three American senators, John McCain, Lindsay Graham, and Joe Lieberman, visited Afghanistan and criticized the pace of drawdown, saying that NATO could run an unnecessary risk by remaining with too few troops to combat the insurgents with a chance of success.

One American soldier was killed on Monday, raising the NATO death toll in Afghanistan this year to 217.