WASHINGTON — Gen. David Petraeus, in his first appearance in Washington since taking over as the top war commander in Afghanistan, is laying out a mostly upbeat assessment of military progress that should allow the United States to begin withdrawing forces this summer, despite predictions that the wounded Taliban insurgency will mount an especially bloody fight this spring.
No one is calling it the Taliban’s last stand, but U.S. officials say this is the year that the insurgency will be tamed on the battlefield and at the bargaining table.
Petraeus met privately with President Barack Obama on Monday, the start of a full week of testimony and other events.
Petraeus, who testifies before Congress today and Wednesday, is likely to repeat his claim that the troop surge has worked to oust the Taliban from historical strongholds, especially in the south. The Associated Press
