Petraeus says he will review Afghanistan rules

Petraeus says he will review Afghanistan rules of engagement

Senate panel approves nomination

By Eli Lake

Army Gen. David Petraeus, the president's choice to command troops in Afghanistan, will review the rules of engagement for U.S., Afghan and NATO soldiers after having heard complaints from troops in the field.

In his opening testimony in his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, the four-star general said "protecting the [Afghan] population inevitably requires killing, capturing or turning the insurgents." But he also pledged to continue the policy of trying to keep Afghanistan insurgents down to a bare minimum.

The committee later voted in favor of Gen. Petraeus to become the next commander of the Afghanistan war, paving the way for his swift confirmation by the full Senate.

Some U.S. forces in Afghanistan have complained that the rules of engagement have left units vulnerable to attack.

"There is an inherent tension in counterinsurgency operations between engaging the enemy and protecting the population," Gen. Petraeus said in written answers to some of the committee's questions.

"In fact, in the past few days, I have had a good discussion with [Afghan] President [Hamid] Karzai on this topic, noting that, if confirmed, I would continue the emphasis on reducing loss of civilian life in the course of operations to an absolute minimum, while also ensuring that we provide whatever assets are necessary to ensure the safety of ISAF and Afghan forces when they are in a tough spot."

In answer to another written question, Gen. Petraeus said: "One of my highest priorities, should I be confirmed ... will be to assess the effect of our [rules of engagement] on the safety of our forces and the successful conduct of our mission."