SENATOR COLLINS MEETS WITH GENERAL PETRAEUS

Washington, DC – Senator Susan Collins met this afternoon with Lt. Gen. David Petraeus.  General Petraeus was recently appointed by President Bush to serve as the senior American commander in Iraq.  He will replace General George Casey as commander of Multi-National Force in Iraq.  General Petraeus is the author of the Army’s counterinsurgency manual.   The meeting took place in Senator Collins’ office on Capitol Hill.  It was an opportunity for Senator Collins to express her reservations about the President’s plan for a troop surge in Iraq and to learn about how General Petraeus plans to use the additional troops.  Senator Collins serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, which will hold a confirmation hearing for General Petraeus’ nomination on January 23rd.   Following the meeting, Senator Collins said, “Although I do not support the President’s plan for a surge in troops, I have great confidence in General Petraeus’ ability and leadership.”   Senator Collins first met General Petraeus during her first visit to Iraq in 2003, when he was serving his first tour of duty in the region.   Click here to view a video clip of the meeting: Senator Susan Collins Greets Gerneral Patraeus