General David Petraeus, along with Ambassador Ryan Crocker, ran the gauntlet of openly hostile leftwingnut Democrats and like a true Soldier, gave it to them straight and did not back down.
The entire transcript of his testimony before the Congress can be found on RealClearPolitics.com
Link: www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/09/reporting_to_congress.html
Some of the highlights:
When accused of being a Whitehouse mouthpiece he responded:
“At the outset I would like to note that this is my testimony. Although I have briefed my assessment and recommendations to my chain of command, I wrote this testimony myself. It has not been cleared by nor shared with anyone in the Pentagon, the White House or the Congress until it was just handed out.”
“The military objectives of the surge are mostly being met…the tribal rejection of al Qaeda that started in Anbar has spread to other regions as well…by next summer, a reduction of surge levels achievable without compromising security…”
He assessed the level of progress warrants a future drawdown of at least 30,000 troops by next summer, and emphatically stated the United States armed forces have met objectives “in large measure.”
He said:
“I believe that we will be able to reduce our forces to the pre-surge level … by next summer without jeopardizing the security gains we have fought so hard to achieve.”
General Petraeus emphasized that though military gains have been dramatic and successful, the Iraqis will have to step up to the plate and take control of their fledgling nation. They will have to prepare for long-term stability once we redeploy:
“Lack of adequate governmental capacity, lingering sectarian mistrust, and various forms of corruption add to Iraq’s challenges,” he said.
He cited improvements in the Iraqi military and pointed out that their level of competence, confidence, and ability is steadily improving. He mentioned Anbar province, where the local populace has turned against Al Qaeda and joined with American forces.
Ambassador Crocker added quite simply that al-Qaeda had “overplayed its hand” in Anbar:
“Anbaris began to reject its excesses, be they beheading school children or cutting off people’s fingers for smoking,” he said.
You know, the stuff that never makes it into the WaPo or the New York Times.
The hearing was disrupted several times by the Code Pink sphincters, who were finally escorted out of the hearing. The Dems were warned about them beforehand, but saw no reason to bar their presence. Funny how that works.
Ike Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said that Petraeus is
…”almost certainly the right job for the job in Iraq, but he’s the right person three years too late and 250,000 troops short”. He asked Petraeus and Crocker to “tell us why we should continue sending our young men and women to fight and die if the Iraqis won’t make the tough sacrifices leading to reconciliation.” “…Are we merely beating a dead horse?” the congressman asked.
No, asshole, we’re beating Al Qaeda to death.
Petraeus and Crocker argued the success of the surge, while pointing out that a transition to a stable Iraq is attainable, but will not be easy:
“I intend to demonstrate that it is possible for the United States to see its goals realized in Iraq and that Iraqis are capable of tackling and addressing the problems confronting them today,” Crocker said.
The best Democrats can offer in response, is a parade of loutish, stupid buffoons who have their heads so far up their asses, they require surgical removal.
Witness the comments. This is how the Democratic Party deals with positive news and constructive analysis:
“Our enemies around the globe gain great advantage by having the United States mired in an Iraqi civil war. Clearly, continuing to pursue the president’s flawed escalation policy until at least July 2008 is not in the national interest of the United States.” — Harry Reid, D-Nev.
“Our brave American service men and women are sacrificing daily for a policy that has no end in sight. A policy of more of the same is no strategic vision, strains our military to the breaking point, and enables Iraqi leaders to dither endlessly instead of reaching a political consensus over the future of their country,” said Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.
Hey asshats, the last time I checked Iraq was just one of the fronts in the GWOT, and part of maintaining national security. The “end in sight” will happen when the Islamofascist raghead bastards are all dead or reach the point where they realize that messing with the “Great Satan” isn’t worth their destruction.
“No amount of sugar coating and spin can change one simply fact — four years after the president’s invasion of Iraq our troops are caught in the midst of a civil war with no end in sight, and it’s up to the US Congress to use the power of the purse to force the President to bring them home,” said Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif.
No amount of facts will ever get in the way of a Democrats’ pro-al Qaeda talking points.
“With all due respect to you, I must say, I don’t buy it,” said Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif
With all due respect, Lantos: Go fuck yourself. You’re another arm-chair critic who shamefully dismisses the integrity of a Soldier who has been there and other places that would make you fill your shorts with that shit you’re full of.
Sen. Chris Dodd who didn’t bother to show at the hearing, issued this inanity:
“The fact that there are questions about General Petraeus’ report is not surprising given that it was brought to you by this White House. In contrast, independent report after report indicates that the whack-a-mole strategy has made this the bloodiest summer of the war.”
Since he wasn’t there, he missed General Patraeus’ opening statement. Oh, but that’s right. He’s just a military leader with boots on the ground experience in Iraq, therefore not to be believed.
Joe (hair plug) Biden gave his two cents:
“The fact of the matter is that American lives remain in jeopardy and, as I said, if every single jihadi in the world was killed tomorrow, we’d still have a major, major war on our hands.”
Really? What part of defeating the jihadist enemy that started this war don’t you get? It stands to reason that killing all of them would end a “major, major war”.
This boneheaded statement came from Lindsey Graham:
“So you’re saying to the Congress that you know that at least 60 soldiers, airmen and Marines are likely to be killed every month from now to July, that we’re going to spend $9 billion a month of American taxpayer dollars, and when it’s all said and done, we’ll still have 100,000 people there, you believe it’s worth it in terms of our national security interests to pay that price.”–Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to Petraeus, who responded: “Sir, I wouldn’t be here, and I wouldn’t have made the recommendations that I have made, if I did not believe that.” And the recommendations you’re making make it more likely that your own son is going to go to war. You know that, don’t you?” Graham to Petraeus, who responded affirmatively.
There’s two ways to take that. Either Lindsey was demonstrating that General Patraeus is aware of the sacrifices and that his son (like he) is not exempt, or he forgot to engage his brain before he put his mouth in gear. I hope he realized that he was addressing a war veteran, who knows a bit more about sacrifice and harm’s way than the members of the committee. It’s just the way he framed the question…..Gawd.
At least Lindsey redeemed himself on the 11 September Hannity and Colmes:
Rich Lowry (guest co-host)…And what do you think it says about the state of this debate that one of the most liberal groups in the country ran a full page ad calling General Petraeus “General Betray Us?”
Graham: It shows that there are some people in this country who have lost sight of what’s going on in Iraq, what’s going on in the world, and it’s a new low. Taking a man who’s lived his life with honor and integrity and accusing him of sending people to their death because of some unknown political agenda, accusing him of sending his own son into a war he believes has been lost or that he’s lying about, you know, somebody who would do that should burn in Hell. But let me tell you about General Petraeus. Those who have been around him all of his life as a military officer do not have the view of him that he is someone who would do these horrible, terrible things.
MoveOn.org’s ad in the the New York Times spewed their fucking ignorance:
It’s a picture of General Petraeus with the caption:
“General Petraeus or General Betray us? Cooking the books for the White House.”
Yeah, that’s real cute. I bet it took their mis-firing neurons all night to come up with that pithy, asinine quip.
The New York Times, in keeping with its policy of leftwing mealy-mouthed bias, refuses to print rebuttals. Big surprise there.
And what say the Democrats about Times/MoveOn’s impugning the integrity of General Patraeus?
They rejected enmasse, a call for condemnation, whining that the ‘Republicans are trying to draw attention away from a “failed Iraq policy”. Unfortunately for them, it’s not failing. It’s quite the opposite.
They don’t even have the decency to be embarrassed by their own stupidity, treachery, and disrespect of an honorable Army General, who has courage and honor far beyond their ability and comprehension.
General Patraeus did have his supporters:
“I am distressed by the accusations leveled by some in the media and by some members of Congress during hearings like these calling into question the integrity of our military, accusing the military of cherry-picking positive numbers to reflect a dramatic decline in sectarian violence,” said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen R, FLA.
“Some in Congress accuse you, General Petraeus, of presenting a report that is simply White House propaganda. I have more respect for the military and for the military leaders’ regard for the men and women whom they lead to believe that you would misrepresent the facts and alter conclusions to serve partisan purposes,” she said.
Too bad the Democrats don’t.
Looks like the troops didn’t get the defeatists memo, either:
Soldiers in Iraq back Petraeus testimony
By KIM GAMEL, Associated Press Writer
Wed Sep 12, 5:05 AM ET
FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA, Iraq – At this wind-swept base near the Iranian border, the main points of Gen. David Petraeus’ testimony to Congress were met with widespread agreement among soldiers: The American troop buildup is working, but the military needs more time.
Most of the soldiers at FOB Delta, some 100 miles southeast of Baghdad, were out on patrol or sleeping when Petraeus’ comments were broadcast late Monday and Tuesday in Iraq.
But some heard it and others have read about it, and say they agree with their commander’s assessment.Staff Sgt. Matthew Nicholls of the 71st Medical Detachment, visiting FOB Delta from his post in southern Iraq to do an assessment, said the military still needs time to clean up mistakes made after the 2003 invasion, including the need to build an Iraqi army from scratch and to secure the borders.
“I think our initial assessment was too rosy,” he said after reading about the hearings while sitting in the library at the recreation center. “It takes time to build an army and I think we should’ve secured the borders right away.”
The 36-year-old from Mobile, Ala., also said American politicians need to be more understanding.
“They can be critical because they are politicians and their main goal is to be re-elected, but they see a much more limited piece than the troops on the ground,” he said.
“What happens in Washington D.C. when somebody signs a piece of paper doesn’t necessarily make it here in the desert,” he said. “You can’t make everybody come together. Sometimes the best you can do is find intermediaries and that takes time.”Sgt. Nathaniel Killip, 24, of Indianapolis, caught part of the general’s presentation on TV and said he agreed that withdrawing all U.S. troops or setting a date to do so before Iraqi security forces have proven themselves ready to take over would open the doors for insurgents to attack. “They’re just going to lay back and wait until it’s a softer target,” he said.
Killip said the troop buildup had made a noticeable difference since more forces arrived at FOB Delta in June, pointing to a dramatic drop in rocket and mortar attacks against the base in the past two weeks.Col. Peter Baker, the commander of the Fort Sill, Okla.-based 214th Fires Brigade, said the U.S. strategy was working but needs more time. “It takes time to build relationships with the Iraqis. It’s gotta be just a very deliberate process,” he said. Baker also pointed out that Petraeus had sent a letter to troops before going before Congress in which he gave them a preview of what he had to say. “It was a recognition that there’s still a ways to go,” he said.
Link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070912/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_troops_react_2
The reaction from the intellectually and morally bankrupt Democrats was all too predictable. In anticipation, they started spouting the Al Jazeera party line several days before the report was even released.
Pelosi, Dodd, Reid, Biden, and the rest of the Democratic jackasses are an absolute disgrace to this country. It’s sickening to see the repulsive things they’ve done against the United States and for our enemies. Most Americans won’t demand that these traitors be prosecuted for their crimes; which makes it all the more execrable.