Congressman Dent Receives Iraq reports

Statement

Congressman Dent Receives Iraq reports

U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent issued the following statement in regards to reports delivered to Congress by Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker on the situation in Iraq:

"I appreciate the honest, straightforward accounting of the situation in Iraq from Gen. Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. Each of these dedicated professionals presented Congress what we asked of them -- unvarnished testimony and expert recommendations. This includes a plan to reduce American troop presence to pre-surge levels - by approximately 30,000 by July 2008. In the coming days I look forward to further analyzing these reports; I will not make any immediate judgments given their volume and importance.

"I am displeased with those who recklessly tried to undermine Gen. Petraeus' credibility and questioned his commitment to providing honest testimony to Congress. I am also disappointed with those in Washington who would dismiss his recommendations without giving them any due consideration.

"With these reports in hand, I call on my colleagues and the Administration to work together in a bipartisan manner to engage in an intelligent, civil dialogue, so that responsible policy decisions about our remaining involvement in Iraq can be crafted."

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