Sen. Carper Reacts To General Petraeus’s Testimony

Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) issued the following statement today in response to the delivery of the Administration’s progress report on Iraq by Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker:

 

“The Petraeus report shows the American military is doing its job, but the Iraqi government and political leadership still have a long way to go. Most objective observers agree that the troop surge announced last January has had some positive military successes, but the Iraqi government has so far failed to make progress to settle its civil war and put the country on a path toward a lasting peace. 

 

“I believe we can better compel political reconciliation in Iraq by beginning to redeploy U.S. troops away from combat areas by the end of the year. American troops will still be needed to help train Iraqi forces, provide security and hunt down terrorist factions, but it is time to start bringing some of our military men and women back home. 

 

“The only realistic way to change the Bush Administration’s Iraq policy is if Democrats and Republicans can come together on a path forward. In the coming weeks, I will be involved in the Senate debate to craft a bipartisan compromise that outlines a significant change in policy and begins to bring our troops home.”