Petraeus endorses 'smart power' concept as key weapon in terror war

TAMPA — Hours after three U.S. troops were killed in a convoy bombing in northwestern Pakistan, Gen. David Petraeus talked to a crowd of nearly 600 people Wednesday evening about utilizing "smart power" and the challenges ahead in fighting global terrorism.

The moderated conversation Wednesday night at the Renaissance Tampa International Plaza Hotel was a part of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition's "Putting Smart Power to Work" campaign meant to increase public awareness and funding for international development and diplomacy.

"It's just a little sliver, about 1 percent of the federal budget," said Liz Schrayer, the coalition's executive director. The campaign aims to get politicians to focus on more than military operations as a way to improve U.S. security.

Petraeus began his talk by noting that the deaths of three soldiers in Pakistan to train paramilitary forces are the first deaths of U.S. forces in that country during this campaign.

"There are lots of challenges in Pakistan," he said. "They want to focus on those that are threatening their existence."

He said Pakistani leaders are focused on subduing the Taliban in their country.

Projects such as building of schools and administration of aid rise in importance in regions where extremist groups recruit heavily, Petraeus said.

The Washington Post reported that the troops killed were on their way to the opening of a girls school built by the U.S. and Pakistani governments.

Petraeus also expounded on what he called a extremely challenging situation in securing Afghanistan — the country's 10 percent literacy rate.

"You can't enforce the law if you can't read it," he said. "We've almost found it more helpful to teach them to read up to an eighth-grade level than anything else."

Robbyn Mitchell can be reached at (813) 226-3373 or rmitchell@sptimes.com.