Gen. David Petraeus gives public policy outlook

Audience members gave a standing ovation before featured speaker Gen. David Petraeus had a chance to speak. 

The four-star general and former CIA director was the final speaker in the 2016 Ringling College Library Association Town Hall lecture series Tuesday morning. 

Petraeus has a 37-year military career, in multiple campaigns, that includes serving as the Commander, Multinational Force-Iraq (2007-2008) and Commander, U.S. and International Security Assistance Forces in Afghanistan (2010-2011). He spent seven years deployed in the Middle East following the 9/11 attacks. 

“The long war may be longer than we anticipated but perhaps the forever war is a better description,” Petraeus said. 

Since retiring from the U.S. Army in 2011, Petreaus was appointed to CIA director for a little more than a year before resigning in 2012 due to an FBI investigation.  He now serves as the chairman of the Global Institute of KKR, a global private equity firm, and lectures on public policy at universities including the Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. 

Petraeus included in his lecture what he calls the ‘North American Decades,’ a positive outlook the on the economic future for the United States, Canada and Mexico. 

“The United States is better positioned than any other country for 20 years or longer,” Petraeus said.