Executive Session

Floor Speech

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Ms. MURKOWSKI. Madam President, I am pleased to support GEN David Petraeus to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. For the second time in as many weeks, this body endorsed an exceptional nominee for a critical post. General Petraeus brings to his new position an incredible resume of warfighting knowledge and experience, strengthened by meaningful excursions into academia. After leading our troops in combat operations overseas for nearly a decade, I think he is well qualified to lead our foremost Intelligence institution to serve the needs of our Armed Forces and the Nation at large.

One of the most respected military thinkers of his generation, General Petraeus literally rewrote the manual on counterinsurgency operations. Understanding that the ability to think is as critical as knowing how to fight, he translated difficult and sometimes counterintuitive principles into a winning formula for a flagging Iraq campaign. In his latest post, his leadership has inspired hope for a positive outcome to our endeavors in Afghanistan.

Threats to our national security are ubiquitous, with those who plot against us living in all corners of the world and in the elusive halls of cyberspace. To defend our liberty and way of life, we rely on an intelligence service that is agile and proactive to swiftly defeat threats before they can harm us. General Petraeus has the rare combination of professional acumen and keen intellect to lead the Central Intelligence Agency in a way that anticipates the moves of our adversaries and keeps them off balance.

General Petraeus and his wife Holly will again unselfishly answer the call of public service at a time when our Nation demands great leaders. After 37 years, they continue to serve with vigor and distinction and I look forward to following their continued success.

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