Now in command, Petraeus vows dedication to Afghan war

KABUL - "We are in this to win," Gen. David Petraeus said yesterday as he took the reins of an Afghan war effort troubled by waning support, an emboldened enemy, government corruption and a looming commitment to withdraw troops, even with no sign of violence easing.

Petraeus, who pioneered the counterinsurgency strategy he now oversees in Afghanistan, has just months to show progress in turning back insurgents and convince both the Afghan people and neighboring countries that the United States is committed to preventing the country from again becoming a haven for al-Qaida and its allies.

"We are engaged in a contest of wills," Petraeus said as he accepted the command of U.S. and NATO forces before several hundred U.S., coalition and Afghan officials outside NATO headquarters in Kabul.

Petraeus, widely credited with turning around the U.S. war effort in Iraq, said the Taliban and their allies are killing and maiming civilians, even using "unwitting children to carry out attacks," in an attempt to undermine public confidence in the Afghan government and the international community's ability to prevail.

Continuing discussion about President Barack Obama's desire to start withdrawing U.S. forces in July 2011 has blurred the definition of what would constitute victory. That, coupled with the abrupt firing of Petraeus' predecessor, a move that laid bare a rift between civilian and military efforts in the country, has created at least the perception that the NATO mission needs to be righted.

"After years of war, we have arrived at a critical moment," Petraeus said. "We must demonstrate to the Afghan people - and to the world - that al-Qaida and its network of extremist allies will not be allowed to once again establish sanctuaries in Afghanistan from which they can launch attacks on the Afghan people and on freedom-loving nations around the world."

Petraeus suggested he would refine, or at least review, the implementation of rules under which NATO soldiers fight, including curbs on the use of air power and heavy weapons if civilians are at risk, "to determine where refinements might be needed." Some troops have complained that such restraint puts their own lives in danger and hands the battlefield advantage to the Taliban and their allies.

Early in the speech, Petraeus praised his predecessor, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who was dismissed last month for intemperate remarks he and his aides made to Rolling Stone about Obama administration officials. "The progress made in recent months - in the face of a determined enemy - is in many respects the result of the vision, energy and leadership he provided," Petraeus said.