Petraeus takes charge

General David Petraeus today took command of the multinational forces serving in Iraq. Here's the complete transcript of his acceptance remarks (with thanks to Iraqslogger):

To the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Civilians of Multi-National Force - Iraq:

We serve in Iraq at a critical time. The war here will soon enter its fifth year. A decisive moment approaches. Shoulder-to-shoulder with our Iraqi comrades, we will conduct a pivotal campaign to improve security for the Iraqi people. The stakes could not be higher.

Our task is crucial. Security is essential for Iraq to build its future. Only with security can the Iraqi government come to grips with the tough issues it confronts and develop the capacity to serve its citizens. The hopes of the Iraqi people and the coalition countries are with us.

The enemies of Iraq will shrink at no act, however barbaric. They will do all that they can to shake the confidence of the people and to convince the world that this effort is doomed. We must not underestimate them.

Together with our Iraqi partners, we must defeat those who oppose the new Iraq. We cannot allow mass murderers to hold the initiative. We must strike them relentlessly. We and our Iraqi partners must set the terms of the struggle, not our enemies. And together we must prevail.

The way ahead will not be easy. There will be difficult times in the months to come. But hard is not hopeless, and we must remain steadfast in our effort to help improve security for the Iraqi people. I am confident that each of you will fight with skill and courage, and that you will remain loyal to your comrades-in-arms and to the values our nations hold so dear.

In the end, Iraqis will decide the outcome of this struggle. Our task is to help them gain the time they need to save their country. To do that, many of us will live and fight alongside them. Together, we will face down the terrorists, insurgents, and criminals who slaughter the innocent. Success will require discipline, fortitude, and initiative - qualities that you have in abundance.

I appreciate your sacrifices and those of your families. Now, more than ever, your commitment to service and your skill can make the difference between victory and defeat in a very tough mission.

It is an honor to soldier again with the members of the Multi-National Force - Iraq. I know that wherever you serve in this undertaking you will give your all. In turn, I pledge my commitment to our mission and every effort to achieve success as we help the Iraqis chart a course to a brighter future.

Godspeed to each of you and to our Iraqi comrades in this crucial endeavor.

Last week Thomas Ricks of the Washington Post wrote a revealing piece about the "warrior-intellectuals" assembled by Petraeus to turn around what everyone would now agree is a dire situation:

Army officers tend to refer to the group as “Petraeus guys” – smart colonels who have been noticed by Petraeus and who make up one of the most selective clubs in the world: military officers with doctorates from top-flight universities and combat experience in Iraq.

Essentially, the Army is turning the war over to its dissidents who have criticized the way the service has operated there over the past three years, and letting them try to wage the war their way.

“Their role is crucial if we are to reverse the effects of four years of conventional mind-set fighting an unconventional war,” said one Special Forces colonel who knows some of the officers.

Of course, the story had to throw this in:

But there is widespread skepticism that even this unusual group, with its specialized knowledge of counterinsurgency methods, will be able to win the battle of Baghdad.

That comment is then supported by quotes from "a professor at a military war college" and Bruce Hoffman, "a Georgetown University expert on terrorism," who both believe it's already "too late."

Yes, Petraeus, his brain trust, and the multinational force face a near-impossible task against a vicious and ruthless enemy and a skeptical (at best) and hostile (at worst) media. They need to turn this war around and they need to do it in 6 months.

Let the elites say what they want from the ivory towers of academia. The rest of us can only hope that the future will reveal them to be as full of hot air as anyone who has ever tried to trip up the underdog on his way to victory.