Petraeus: Obama Iraq plan a good starting point

Retired Gen. David Petraeus says President Barack Obama’s decision to intensify the fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria is a good start.

Speaking in Denver at a 9/11 commemoration Thursday, Petraeus said Obama made a forceful case for battling militants who control large parts of the two nations.

Petraeus also endorsed Obama’s decision not to reveal detail of the plan, saying it would be dangerous to tip off the militants.

He says the current crisis in Iraq is serious but not as desperate as the situation in December 2006, when Petraeus commanded a buildup in U.S. forces ordered by then-President George W. Bush.

But Petraeus cautioned against overestimating the strength of the militants and underestimating Iraqi security forces.