thedrifter
09-13-07, 07:47 AM
On Washington's firing line, Petraeus says he draws strength from Kipling poem
By: LOLITA C. BALDOR - Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- It's been a long slog through unfriendly terrain, but the top U.S. commander in Iraq had a poem from Rudyard Kipling to give him strength as he faced pointed questions from Congress and sharp attacks from opponents of the war this week.
Gen. David Petraeus told reporters Wednesday that a friend from his hometown -- Cornwall on Hudson, N.Y. -- sent him a copy of the poem "If" the day a critical newspaper ad came out accusing him of "cooking the books" on the troop cuts for the White House.
In a play on words, the ad offered the rhyme: "General Petraeus or General Betray Us."
Asked about the criticism on Wednesday, Petraeus said he still is carrying the poem with him.
"I won't read it to you. As much as I'd like to," said Petraeus. "But it might be worth looking at because I took some strength I think from that."
The first few lines of the poem, which Kipling wrote while living in the secluded English countryside after the death of his daughter Josephine early in the 20th century, seem fitting:
IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise
As for the ad, Petraeus simply said he disagreed with the message, observing, "Some of it was just flat completely wrong and the rest is, at least, more than arguable."
Both Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker spent the bulk of Monday and Tuesday being grilled by members of four House and Senate committees over the progress of the war and plans for the withdrawal of up to 30,000 troops by next July. They then gamely stood through 90 more minutes of questions Wednesday from the media, and have at least two more days of probing to come before they can head back to Iraq.
Crocker said that the lawmakers' questions reflected the deep divisions and frustration over the war, but he said he comes away "somewhat encouraged" with their willingness to listen. "I certainly felt I had a fair hearing," he said.
But at the same time, Crocker said aloud what both are likely thinking as they await their return to Baghdad.
"I have no idea where the debate will go from here in the U.S. I got to get back to my day job, and I'm actually looking forward to it," he said.
And as Kipling wrote:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And -- which is more -- you'll be a Man, my son!
On the Net:
Kipling Poem: www.kipling.org.uk/poems--if.htm
Defense Department: www.defenselink.mil
Ellie
By: LOLITA C. BALDOR - Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- It's been a long slog through unfriendly terrain, but the top U.S. commander in Iraq had a poem from Rudyard Kipling to give him strength as he faced pointed questions from Congress and sharp attacks from opponents of the war this week.
Gen. David Petraeus told reporters Wednesday that a friend from his hometown -- Cornwall on Hudson, N.Y. -- sent him a copy of the poem "If" the day a critical newspaper ad came out accusing him of "cooking the books" on the troop cuts for the White House.
In a play on words, the ad offered the rhyme: "General Petraeus or General Betray Us."
Asked about the criticism on Wednesday, Petraeus said he still is carrying the poem with him.
"I won't read it to you. As much as I'd like to," said Petraeus. "But it might be worth looking at because I took some strength I think from that."
The first few lines of the poem, which Kipling wrote while living in the secluded English countryside after the death of his daughter Josephine early in the 20th century, seem fitting:
IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise
As for the ad, Petraeus simply said he disagreed with the message, observing, "Some of it was just flat completely wrong and the rest is, at least, more than arguable."
Both Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker spent the bulk of Monday and Tuesday being grilled by members of four House and Senate committees over the progress of the war and plans for the withdrawal of up to 30,000 troops by next July. They then gamely stood through 90 more minutes of questions Wednesday from the media, and have at least two more days of probing to come before they can head back to Iraq.
Crocker said that the lawmakers' questions reflected the deep divisions and frustration over the war, but he said he comes away "somewhat encouraged" with their willingness to listen. "I certainly felt I had a fair hearing," he said.
But at the same time, Crocker said aloud what both are likely thinking as they await their return to Baghdad.
"I have no idea where the debate will go from here in the U.S. I got to get back to my day job, and I'm actually looking forward to it," he said.
And as Kipling wrote:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And -- which is more -- you'll be a Man, my son!
On the Net:
Kipling Poem: www.kipling.org.uk/poems--if.htm
Defense Department: www.defenselink.mil
Ellie