Israel Matzav: Petraeus calls Israel a 'vital strategic ally'

Petraeus calls Israel a 'vital strategic ally'

The David Petraeus saga continues. Petraeus, who is continuing his efforts to refute comments attributed to him by former Arafat aide Mark Perry in a blog post last month, told the Woodrow Wilson Center on Tuesday that "Israel is - has been, is and will be a - an important strategic ally of the United States."

Petraeus referred to the above episodes in his address Wednesday, saying, "I think rightly, seized on was the inclusion of the comment about insignificant progress or insufficient progress toward a comprehensive Mideast peace process".

"It did not say anything about settlements, didn't say anything about putting our soldiers at risk or something like that," he stressed.

Petraeus highlighted various contributions to Middle East instability, including "militant Islamist movements; proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; ungoverned, poorly governed and alternatively governed spaces; insufficient progress toward a comprehensive Mideast peace process; significant sources of terrorist financing and facilitation; piracy; ethnic, tribal and sectarian rivalries; criminal activities, such as weapons, narcotics and human trafficking; uneven economic development and lack of employment opportunities; and lack of regional and global economic integration."

Unfortunately, Petraeus didn't go this far - yet.

Israel Matzav: Petraeus calls Israel a 'vital strategic ally'