Graham: Smooth transition with Patraeus

Now that President Obama has tabbed General David Patraeus to replace General Stanley McChrystal as commander of the military forces in Afghanistan, a number of observers are contemplating that some changes will be made in that battle theatre. Appearing on Fox News Sunday, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, says he doesn’t think there will be major changes.  In the interview, Graham states:

I think he will look at the rules of engagement. There is sort of a common view that the rules of engagement hamper military operations and that we have gone too far the other way. However I will leave that up to the general, he (Patraeus) is a master with that kind of stuff. Counterinsurgency will continue. My biggest concern as we go forward is if the civilian side is going to change. We’ve got a dysfunctional relationship between the military-civilian components that’s essential to winning a counterinsurgency.