General David Petraeus (Retired) knows a thing or two about sticky military situations. The U.S. Army’s leading expert on counterinsurgency, Petraeus oversaw the largely successful “surge” of forces into Iraq in 2007, when many Americans had given up on the war. In the process, he became a celebrity of sorts and was promoted to lead all U.S. forces in the Middle East. Petraeus held that job until 2011, when he was tapped by President Barack Obama to lead the CIA.
On Monday, I asked Petraeus for his thoughts about the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the Trump administration’s policy toward Venezuela, and whether Americans should brace themselves for another long war.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Will Rahn: So Nicolás Maduro has been arrested by the United States. President Trump seems keen, at the moment, on keeping Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, in charge of Venezuela. This is despite the fact that she is a militant socialist and a very close Maduro ally. We’re not sure how keen she is on working with the U.S., but she is releasing statements signaling that she might be.
Is there a way to do this, working with the current government of Venezuela—to the extent that it exists—so that we can avoid American boots on the ground?
David Petraeus: Well, we’ll have to see. Frankly, first of all, I’m pleased to see Nicolás Maduro brought to justice. He was obviously a brutal, murderous dictator who did enormous damage to his country—and to the world, really—through his narcotrafficante activities and so forth. It’s just also an extraordinary demonstration of U.S. military capabilities.
