TIN EAR TWOSOME

Gen. Petraeus Will Testify Before Clinton And Obama; Will They Listen Or Continue To Ignore His Recommendations?
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Today, Gen. David Petraeus, The Top Military Commander In Iraq, Will Testify Before Sen. Clinton And Obama:

"[H]illary Rodham Clinton And Barack Obama Are On The Senate Committees That Will Host The General. All Plan To Attend The Hearings." (David Jackson, "Iraq Hearings Could Provide McCain Spotlight," USA Today, 4/7/08)

During His Last Appearance Before The Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Clinton Told Gen. Petraeus His Testimony Required The "Willing Suspension Of Disbelief":

Sen. Clinton: "[I] think that the reports that you provide to us really require the willing suspension of disbelief." (Committee On The Armed Services, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 9/11/07)

Sen. Clinton Ignored Gen. Petraeus' Warning Against A Rapid Withdrawal:

"Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton Today Called On President Bush To Use His Authority As Commander-In-Chief To 'Greatly Accelerate' The Redeployment Of U.S. Forces From Iraq..." (Sen. Hillary Clinton, "Senator Clinton Calls On President Bush To Redeploy U.S. Forces From Iraq At A Faster Pace," Press Release, 9/12/07)

"Gen. David H. Petraeus, The Senior American Commander In Iraq, Warned In Stark Terms Against The Kind Of Rapid Pullback Favored By The Democratic Majorities In The House And Senate..." (David S. Cloud and Thom Shanker, "Petraeus Warns Against Quick Pullback In Iraq," The New York Times, 9/11/07)

Gen. Petraeus: "Our assessments underscore in fact the importance of recognizing that a premature draw down of our forces would likely have devastating consequences. That assessment is supported by the findings of a 16 August Defense Intelligence Agency report on the implications of a rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq." (Gen. David Petraeus, Committee On The Armed Services, U.S. Senate, Testimony, 9/11/07)

Obama Seemed Disinterested In The Testimony Of Gen. Petraeus And Ambassador To Iraq Ryan Crocker:

Obama Chewed Gum And Read A Campaign Memo During Gen. Petraeus And Ambassador Crocker's Assessment Of The Situation In Iraq. "Presidential politics are never far from the congressional debate on Iraq. As Gen. David Petraeus testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday, the two merged into a seamless whole. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), a presidential contender, took his seat on the dais in the Hart Senate Office Building, popped a piece of Nicorette gum into his mouth, opened a green folder and began reading a memo..." (Dana Milbank, "Enough About Iraq -- Let's Talk About Me," The Washington Post, 9/12/07)

Obama's One Question For Gen. Petraeus And Crocker Had Already Been Asked. "Petraeus never got to answer Obama's 266-word question. Rushed at the end, Obama asked about benchmarks not met. Crocker said, 'Senator, I described for Senator Sununu a little bit ago some of the things that I think are going to be very important as we move ahead.'" (Lynn Sweet, "At Iraq Hearing, Long-Winded Obama Barely Manages To Ask A Question," Chicago Sun-Times, 9/12/07)

After The Last Hearing, Obama Said The U.S. Should Begin To Withdraw From Iraq Immediately, Despite Gen. Petraeus' Warning Against A Premature Withdrawal:

The Day After Gen. Petraeus' Testimony, Obama Called For The U.S. To "Immediately Begin To Remove Our Combat Troops" From Iraq. Obama: "So let me be clear. There is no military solution in Iraq. There never was. The best way to protect our security and to pressure Iraq's leaders to resolve their civil war is to immediately begin to remove our combat troops. Not in six months or one year, but now. To execute this, we should enter into talks with the Iraqi government to discuss the process of our drawdown. We must get out strategically and carefully, removing troops from secure area s first and keeping troops in more volatile areas until later. But our drawdown should process at a steady pace of one or two brigades each month. If we start now, all our combat brigades should be out of Iraq by the end of next year." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks On Iraq, Clinton, IA, 9/12/07)

Gen. Petraeus Testified Before The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Of Which Obama Is A Member, That A Premature Withdrawal From Iraq Would Have "Devastating Consequences." Gen. Petraeus: "In describing the recommendations I have made...I believe Iraq's problems will require a long-term effort. ... Our assessments underscore, in fact, the importance of recognizing that a premature drawdown of our forces would likely have devastating consequences. That assessment is supported by the findings of a 16 August Defense Intelligence Agency report on the implications of a rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. Sum marizing it in an unclassified fashion, it concludes that a rapid withdrawal would result in the further release of the strong centrifugal forces in Iraq and produce a number of dangerous results, including a high risk of disintegration of the Iraqi security forces, rapid deterioration of local security initiatives, al Qaeda-Iraq regaining lost ground and freedom of maneuver, a marked increase in violence, and further ethno-sectarian displacement and refugee flows, alliances of convenience by Iraqi groups with internal and external forces to gain advantages over their rivals, and exacerbation of already challenging regional dynamics, especially with respect to Iran. Lieutenant General Odierno and I share this assessment and believe that the best way to secure our national interests and avoid an unfavorable outcome in Iraq is to continue to focus our operations on securing the Iraqi people while targeting terrorist groups and militia extremists, and as quickly as conditions a re met, transitioning security tasks to Iraqi elements." (Gen. David Petraeus, Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Testimony, 9/11/07)

NOTE: Obama Has Ignored His Own Adviser's Recommendation That 60,000 To 80,000 Troops Should Remain In Iraq As Late As 2010. "A key adviser to Senator Obama's campaign is recommending in a confidential paper that America keep between 60,000 and 80,000 troops in Iraq as of late 2010, a plan at odds with the public pledge of the Illinois senator to withdraw combat forces from Iraq within 16 months of taking office." (Eli Lake, "Obama Adviser Calls For 60,000-80,000 U.S. Troops To Stay In Iraq Through 2010," The New York Sun, 4/4/08)

"The Paper, Obtained By The New York Sun, Was Written By Colin Kahl For The Center-Left Center For A New American Security. ... Mr. Kahl Is The Day-To-Day Coordinator Of The Obama Campaign's Working Group On Iraq." (Eli Lake, "Obama Adviser Calls For 60,000-80,000 U.S. Troops To Stay In Iraq Through 2010," The New York Sun, 4/4/08)

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