Knollenberg Statement on General Petraeus Testimony

Press Release

Knollenberg Statement on General Petraeus Testimony

Washington, Sep 10 - Congressman Joe Knollenberg issued the following statement on the testimony delivered today by General Petraeus before the House Armed Services Committee:

"I believe Congress should heed the advice of General Petraeus. We all want this war to end as quickly as possible, but our policy decisions must be guided by what is best for America's national security interests. Defeat in Iraq is not an option I am willing to concede today.

"The key question before Congress now is whether arbitrarily pulling back our troops will force the Iraqi people to assume greater responsibility for the security of their nation or whether doing so will erode the security gains that have been made in recent months and make it impossible for the Iraqi people to assume responsibility for the security of their nation.

"I trust our generals in Iraq more than I trust politicians who seem to be more interested in scoring political points than winning this war. I have faith in our military. I believe we have the best soldiers in the world. The surge is providing important security gains. And I don't want this progress reversed because we attempt to micromanage the war from the halls of Congress. We should begin pulling down our troops based on the advice of our commanders on the ground in Iraq.

"I have spoken out against the mismanagement of the war effort, but it's time to look forward instead of harping on past mistakes. I understand that many of my Democratic colleagues are downright hostile towards President Bush. But this is America's war, not President Bush's war. It's time for Republicans and Democrats to stand together behind our soldiers as they fight for a successful resolution in Iraq. There is no disputing that America has a lot on the line in Iraq. There is no disputing that America will be less safe if the terrorists win in Iraq. The stakes for our nation and for our allies in the Middle East are high. That's the reality we face, and it's a reality we must address in a bipartisan manner."

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