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For his choice of Adm. William “Fox” Fallon and Gen. David Petraeus as key new commanders to carry out the new Iraq plan.

The juxtaposition of Fallon, a Navy veteran with a track record of strategic thinking and diplomatic prowess, and Petraeus, a seasoned Army general with demonstrated capabilities in two Iraq assignments and who literally wrote the book on counterinsurgency, is inspired. It couples out-of-the-box thinking with inside expertise that knows the enemy firsthand.

As commander of 101st Airborne, Petraeus over saw the successful Mosul campaign which followed through with a ‘hearts and minds’ effort that helped restore services there and win trust. As commander of the Multi-National Security Transition Command he spearheaded efforts to train Iraqi security forces.

While there is no guarantee of success for the administration’s new plan, if anyone can make it work, this leadership team can.