# Who will determine if The Surge is working in September? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 5, 2007, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-determine-if-the-surge-is-working-in-september/402872 "2007-05-05T12:24:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2007, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-determine-if-the-surge-is-working-in-september/402872/41 "2007-05-07T21:52:34Z")
[QUOTE=BarnOwl] Petraeus isn’t so naive that he’s unaware of Bush’s hiring/firing practices. I doubt he’s afraid of being axed for speaking his mind. My concern is that as the general in charge, it will be extremely hard (if not impossible) for him to admit he has failed. Which is why, he shouldn’t be making the call. [/QUOTE] If I heard Bush publicly pledge that he would not fire Petraeus for issuing an unfavorable report, maybe I’d feel more confident in its truthfullness. Even then, I’d want a third party that’s independent of the administration to evaluate those claims. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-determine-if-the-surge-is-working-in-september/402872/42 "2007-05-08T13:04:20Z")
[QUOTE=Blalron] If I heard Bush publicly pledge that he would not fire Petraeus for issuing an unfavorable report, maybe I’d feel more confident in its truthfullness. Even then, I’d want a third party that’s independent of the administration to evaluate those claims. [/QUOTE] You heard Bush pledge he’d get bin Laden You heard Bush pledge he’d rebuild New Orleans You recently heard him pledge to rebuild Greensburg, Kansas And now you’d feel more confident in its truthfulness if he publicly pledged he wouldn’t fire Petraeus for issuing an unfavorable report. You’re a Republican, right? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-determine-if-the-surge-is-working-in-september/402872/43 "2007-05-08T13:49:50Z")
The Sunnis may pull the plug long before September: [Top Sunni official sets a May 15 deadline to pull out from Iraq’s government](http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/05/07/iraq.sunnithreat/index.html) > [@](#): > > Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi made his comments in an interview with CNN. He said if key amendments to the Iraq Constitution are not made by May 15, he will step down and pull his 44 Sunni politicians out of the 275-member Iraqi parliament. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-determine-if-the-surge-is-working-in-september/402872/44 "2007-05-08T15:48:03Z")
[QUOTE=Subterraneanus] And, apparently, The Determiner™. [/QUOTE] Ctually, I think it’s spelled _Determinator_. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2007, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-determine-if-the-surge-is-working-in-september/402872/45 "2007-05-08T16:02:45Z")
[QUOTE=BarnOwl] You heard Bush pledge he’d get bin Laden You heard Bush pledge he’d rebuild New Orleans You recently heard him pledge to rebuild Greensburg, Kansas And now you’d feel more confident in its truthfulness if he publicly pledged he wouldn’t fire Petraeus for issuing an unfavorable report. You’re a Republican, right? [/QUOTE] I meant this humorously **Blalron**. Honest. Hope I didn’t hurt your feelings. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-determine-if-the-surge-is-working-in-september/402872.md?page=2)