TRANSCRIPT: Gen. Petraeus ABC News Exclusive Interview

AFGHANISTAN, Sept. 14, 2010— -- Senior Foreign Affairs Correspondent ABC News' Martha Raddatz interviewed International Security Assistance Force Commander U.S. Gen. David Petraeus, the top commander in Afghanistan.

MARTHA RADDATZ: General, let's start with the developments overnight. And we spoke yesterday -- in the helicopter on your battlefield circulation about what was happening with the planned burning of the Koran. It looks like now, that the pastor in Florida says he will either put it on hold or not go ahead with it. Your reaction to that and whether the damage is already done.

GENERAL DAVID PETRAEUS: Well, that obviously would be positive. There has been some damage done. You've seen it. You've seen, you've heard of the demonstrations here in Afghanistan -- there are already in a sense images if you will implanted in minds albeit not with photos of something as inflammatory as the burning of a Quaran. But let me perhaps start off by saying, you know, this is not a first amendment issue to me. This is an issue of a commander who is responsible for the safety of America's sons and daughters. Sons and daughters of -- over 47 other coalition countries. And it puts their lives in jeopardy, in some cases. This is about their safety. It's about their security. I defended the right of others to attack me in -- in the past. You may recall on I think it was the 11th of September.

RADDATZ: MoveOn.org.

PETRAEUS: MoveOn.org took out a full page ad attacking me personally -- on the morning of the hearings back in Washington with Ambassador Crocker on Iraq. And I was asked about that later, and obviously, I didn't applaud as I opened the newspaper and saw that. But I did state that we fought for the right of individuals to do just what they did.

So, I am a firm believer in First Amendment rights. But in this case, of course, it's one of those -- issues where one person's exercise of freedom of expression jeopardizes the safety of tens of thousands of others -- hundreds of thousands of others, probably, around the world. And could do -- very significant damage to the image of the United States around the world, as well.

RADDATZ: Could it also be that because Secretary Gates intervened, because you made comments, because there was such -- such outrage about this. That, in fact, it could have the opposite effect. That people may say, "This man tried to burn the Koran and he was stopped."

PETRAEUS: It's in the sense of -- of it being a positive effect, is that what you're…

RADDATZ: the best outcome possible from that. That it -- that it could in fact something you could capitalize on.

PETRAEUS: I think it could be. I think it could be. I think that -- when you saw the outpouring -- of emotion, of rejection of such an action by so many Americans. From all areas, all walks of life -- all segments of our population. I think that sent a very powerful message to those of the Islamic faith around the world. I've had conversations with -- with Afghans who have said, "Thank you for speaking out on this. Thanks for -- being in a sense a voice of reason. And please extend our appreciation to all the others -- who have done likewise." I've also received, I might add -- numerous emails from -- members of our ranks here in Afghanistan and also from a number of mothers and fathers back in the United States.

RADDATZ: Because this went around the world so quickly, because as soon as it -- he announced it, and it was on the internet, and we talked a bit about that yesterday, what does that tell you? And what are your concerns about the reaction to the Muslim world to Americans?

PETRAEUS: Well, first of all, it obviously says a lot about the information environment which we carry out operations. Indeed, as we discussed the other day, one of the -- the areas in which we have to work very hard is to try to be first with the truth, is the admonition that we offer to those who are working in public affairs, strategic communications and so forth. And it -- it becomes increasingly difficult, because, of course, the insurgents sometimes have news bureau desks -- already programmed into their cell phones. And -- so, we're trying to gather information and to ascertain the facts. And then to -- to share them again as widely as we can, as quickly as we can, to ensure that -- terrorist propaganda doesn't stay out there for too long unchallenged.

And ideally, again, we actually get the headline first. So that the pace of this -- and many people have remarked how the 24-hour news cycle and so forth that it continues to compress -- the -- the rapid pace with which news just goes around the world, as you noted -- in cyberspace -- is a reality. It is a challenge. And sometimes it's an opportunity. In this case, I think there was also a little bit of a slow news cycle. You know, it was over the Labor Day Weekend.

RADDATZ: Labor Day Weekend --

PETRAEUS: There wasn't much else going on. And all of a sudden this was latched onto by a number of different news organizations.

RADDATZ: Beyond the information war, what -- what does it say about our relationship with the Muslim world? That the Muslim world, parts of it certainly, would react so rapidly to that?

PETRAEUS: Well, there are predispositions out there. In some cases, to be fair, they are founded on other images -- that are in cyberspace --

RADDATZ: (OVERTALK), Abu Gharaib, Guatanamo --

PETRAEUS: --a number of other -- incidents along the way from which we've learned very, very hard lessons. But we have sought to learn those. We have sought to take corrective action. We have sought to be an adaptive learning organization. But again, there are predispositions. There are people who want -- who will use the platforms that they have -- even religious platforms -- to incite others and to inflame public opinion -- in various populations around the world. I think those are more the exceptions -- than the normal, but they are out there. And they can -- they can be used and they have been used.

RADDATZ: And that's one of your enormous challenges. I mean, yesterday, going down there and seeing the female engagement teams from Jordan and -- and the challenge you face in dealing with the Muslim world. And convincing the Muslim world that American soldiers are -- and Marines are here for a reason.

PETRAEUS: Well, it is -- the -- this is a very complex environment. We often talk about, in fact—with awe actually as we describe what our young men and women in uniform and our coalition partners and -- and others are able to do in these very, very difficult and very complex situations. Operating in cultures that are very different than our own. Different languages. And, of course, multiple languages in a country like Afghanistan.

Different religions. Different traditions. Social customs, values, and all the rest of that. And it's incumbent on us to understand those. To understand the environment in which we're operating -- in a very nuanced manner, frankly. That's something over time in Iraq, because of the sheer density of -- of troopers in the multiple locations. So that by the time of the surge, many of the commanders on the ground—at mid and senior levels, who were actually on their third tour in Iraq. And had a pretty good understanding -- of the situation there.

That's something that we'll work very hard to do here in Afghanistan. Where we've not had that -- that -- anywhere near that density. Of course, we were just at 30 or 31,000 -- U.S. troopers as late as the beginning of 2009. And we're now obviously somewhere around 98,000.

RADDATZ: Can I just go back? Because -- we talked about 9/11 yesterday. I just want to briefly talk to you again with the anniversary approaching on your thoughts on the anniversary of -- of 9/11, nine years of war.

PETRAEUS: Well, first of all, I don't know that anyone really envisioned what the results of -- of 9/11. What would be -- what would follow in the aftermath -- of 9/11. All of the actions that would be taken and that would affect virtually every person's life in some fashion -- has been affected by 9/11, if it's nothing more than just much more intrusive checks and security precautions at air -- airlines.

And -- but beyond that, of course, then you have all of those great Americans and -- and coalition partners -- who have been engaged, as you noted, in -- in nine years of war. Individuals who have continued to raise their right hands -- tour after tour -- while, you know, way into the three, four, full-year tours. For some of those who have been in uniform since 9/11 itself. They and their families have sacrificed enormously during this time. Our -- our country can never thank them enough. But I can say that one of the most heartening -- developments of all this has been the way that all American citizens do support those who are serving our country down range in uniform.

RADDATZ: Let's talk about yesterday and the battlefield circulation and what you saw. And what you saw. If you saw any real tangible progress. I know I asked your brigade commander about that. And he sort of smiled and said there was some visible progress. But explain what -- what you saw and what -- what challenges you saw.

PETRAEUS: First of all, what I saw was a great unit -- experienced leaders. Very, very competent and -- and indeed great leaders, again. Of a brigade commander who had two tours as a battalion commander -- in counterinsurgency operations. One -- of which I was privileged to be his division commander in the first year -- in Iraq, in the 101st Airborne Division. Company and battalion commanders who are very accomplished, very experienced at this very difficult so-called graduate level of warfare, counterinsurgency.

And you did see progress. You saw the security bubble gradually expanding. Very hard fought gains. Very difficult and sometimes -- seeming to be as slow as, again, watching grass grow or paint dry. But nonetheless -- progress. You saw Afghan partners, you saw coalition partners -- using very innovative -- ideas. And -- and again, another area in which we continue to expand with the female engagement teams. And using -- wherever possible those Islamic countries that -- are willing to contribute.

Because of the natural -- ties that they share. The Turkish contingent, for example, in Kabul, has made a very important contribution here. And the Afghan People feel very, very comfortable with them and vice versa. That's one reason that indeed the Kabul -- ink spot or oil spot to use counterinsurgency parlance has continued to expand. And that the security in one sixth of the population, of course, being right here. The security for five million people, five million Afghans has again continued to solidify and to expand.

RADDATZ: What -- what -- explain to people the oil spot spreading or even the security bubble spreading. What that means is you're basically pushing out insurgents and the people in that area feel safer.

PETRAEUS: That's correct. And again, it's not always pushing out. In some cases, it can be killing or capturing. In some cases, it can be running off. In other cases, actually, it can be flipping them, turning them. Making them part of the solution.

RADDATZ: Are you seeing that?

PETRAEUS: Well -- again, small numbers. Hundreds -- not the thousands or tens of thousands that we ultimately saw -- in Iraq. But we do see the beginnings of it. And, of course, the formal program, the Afghan-led reintegration of reconcilables. That program is really just beginning to roll out now. Right after the Eid President Karzai is going to announce the membership -- of the national peace council. That will be another important step in this process.