Petraeus Supports Obama on Guantanamo, Torture
May 26, 2009

Senate members may have dealt President Obama a significant - even if temporary - defeat last week for his efforts to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay when they voted overwhelmingly (90 - 6) to prohibit its funding, but this weekend identified an additional, crucial ally for Obama and other progressives in their efforts to end practices that have undermined efforts to prevent terrorism. This time, his plan's endorsement came from the former leader of US forces in Iraq and current commander of CENTCOM, US forces in the broader Middle East - Gen. David Petraeus.

In an interview on Radio Free Europe on Sunday, Gen. Petraeus argued that closing the Guantanamo and ending torture would benefit the US in its efforts to combat terrorism.

Key excerpts below, or read the transcript here.