110th Congress McCarthy Responds to General Petraeus' Strategy to Continue to Make Progress in Iraq

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110th Congress McCarthy Responds to General Petraeus' Strategy to Continue to Make Progress in Iraq

WASHINGTON- Today, in response to General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker's testimony on the progress of the new security strategy in Iraq, Congressman McCarthy issued the following statement:

"General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker are two honorable men who have provided critical leadership in implementing our new security strategy in Iraq. I appreciate their detailed assessment of the progress of the new strategy.

"We still face challenges, but our troops have performed brilliantly in implementing the new strategy. They have on a daily basis faced the enemy on the ground and have reduced violence and brought greater security to Iraq. It is critical that Washington continues to support their mission and not micromanage our commanders, so that our commanders have the flexibility to continue to implement a strategy that is making progress to defeat al Qaeda in Iraq, increasing stability and security, and creating a situation on the ground where our troop levels can eventually be reduced in what we all hope is the near future.

"I am disappointed that the Iraqi political progress is operating at a slower pace than the security progress. Political reconciliation is essential, and the agreement Iraqi political leaders reached two weeks ago can provide the momentum towards national reconciliation. But the United States must continue to demand accountability of the Iraqi politicians. Our involvement is not a blank check and requires the good faith effort and results of the Iraqi government to make political progress.

"The purpose of today's report was to allow members of Congress and the American people to analyze the facts on the ground with the policy options. I will analyze the findings from this hearing. As Congress debates the next steps in Iraq, we should recognize that this debate centers on America, not a political party. I believe today's testimony of progress from our commanders on the ground is a testament to our troops' ability and resolve to complete their mission, a mission worth fighting for to create a safer world for generations to come."

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