What you don’t know about David Petraeus

 

The political world is abuzz with speculation about whether Mitt Romney plans to choose CIA Director David Petraeus to be his vice-presidential running mate on the GOP ticket – but Petraeus’ positions on a variety of issues could upset conservatives if he is indeed selected for the slot.

The retired Army four-star general, who has been lionized by many Republicans, led the charge to allow homosexuals to serve openly in the military – more than a year before the Obama administration repealed the armed forces’ “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

In March 2010, Petraeus declared “the time has come” for the military to reconsider the rule. In the same month, Petraeus told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria he served with homosexuals in the CIA and didn’t believe troops would have difficulty adjusting to working with openly homosexual service members.

He has expressed support for Obama’s calls for shutting down Guantanamo Bay prison and condemned American use of interrogation strategies such as waterboarding.  

Also, Petraeus testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee, saying the perception of U.S. favoritism toward Israel has fomented anti-Americanism. He told the committee, “enduring hostilities between Israel and some of its neighbors present distinct challenges to our ability to advance our interests in the area of responsibility.

What you don’t know about David Petraeus