General Petraeus Testimony

Yesterday General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker gave important testimony before Congress on the situation in Iraq and the progress made in the Surge. Below are some key quotes from the general, who's report you can read in full here (Later I will try to include quotes from Ambassador Crocker):

• 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 Congress.
• Though the improvements have been uneven across Iraq, the overall number of security incidents in Iraq has declined in 8 of the past 12 weeks, with the numbers of incidents in the last two weeks at the lowest levels seen since June 2006.
• Iraqi elements have been standing and fighting and sustaining tough losses, and they have taken the lead in operations in many areas.
• (N)one of us earlier this year appreciated the extent of Iranian involvement in Iraq, something about which we and Iraq’s leaders all now have greater concern.
• I believe that we will be able to reduce our forces to the pre-surge level of brigade combat teams by next summer without jeopardizing the security gains that we have fought so hard to achieve.
• Civilian deaths of all categories, less natural causes, have also declined considerably, by over 45% Iraq-wide since the height of the sectarian violence in December.
• (M)onthly attack levels in Anbar have declined from some 1,350 in October 2006 to a bit over 200 in August of this year.
• The number of car bombings and suicide attacks has also declined in each of the past 5 months, from a high of some 175 in March, as this chart shows, to about 90 this past month.
• We have...neutralized 5 media cells, detained the senior Iraqi leader of Al Qaeda-Iraq, and killed or captured nearly 100 other key leaders and some 2,500 rank-and-file fighters.
• The most significant development in the past six months likely has been the increasing emergence of tribes and local citizens rejecting Al Qaeda and other extremists.
• To summarize, the security situation in Iraq is improving, and Iraqis elements are slowly taking on more of the responsibility for protecting their citizens...As a result, the United States will be in a position to reduce its forces in Iraq in the months ahead.

The first is very important, because as early as last month the MSM began it's slander campaign claiming the White House would write the Petraeus Report. This week, the Democrat Congress joined in the smearing to refer to it as "the Bush Report". The general rightly slapped down this rumor immediately. The last comment was meant to pacify Congress, but I don't think they will be satisfied.

And finally, here it comes..."Our assessments underscore, in fact, the importance of recognizing that a premature drawdown of our forces would likely have devastating consequences".

Every rational American realizes this, that if we left now Al Qaeda would just follow us home. So then its better to finish this fight now, or it will be worse for us later.

Update-Here's a thought. Are we fighting a new American Civil War, between the Hard Left and the Right? It does seem 2 ideologies are at play here, one wishing to return to the "malaise days" of the 60's and 70's, caring more about social justice than social progress. The other is hoping to keep the Reagan Revolution going, and perhaps spread freedom around the world. The latter is something we should have done after World War 2, but were stymied by Soviet Communism, which is sad. Democracy could've made such a difference to the new nations emerging with the Fall of the Colonial Powers. Instead, while we were distracted in the Cold War, virgin states such as in Africa took the path of least resistance, choosing a return to pre-colonial tyranny rather than the tougher route of working out a democratic government. When we did try nation building in Vietnam, it was badly bungled by the Democrats and we quit ( which goes a long way explaining their extreme gun-shyness today). And Freedom is a hard thing, which is why it has been so rare in world history, and as we often forget when we declare there's no hope left in Iraq.