Conjuring a Functional Iraqi Government
Petraeus, Crocker Argue Iraqi Government Needs Time
By William Branigin, Robin Wright and Peter Baker Washington Post Staff Writers Tuesday, September 11, 2007; 1:24 PM
The top U.S. military commander and diplomat in Iraq today came under sharp questioning from Democratic and Republican senators demanding a justification for the continued commitment of American lives and resources to Iraq more than four years after the March 2003 U.S. invasion.
In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker argued that the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki needs more time to take advantage of improved security that they said has resulted from operations spearheaded by U.S. reinforcements.
Petraeus, presenting recommendations he announced yesterday at a joint hearing of two House committees, said conditions have improved enough that about 30,000 troops can be withdrawn by next summer, bringing the U.S. military presence in I…