Reaction to Iraq Report

Reaction to Iraq Report


Thursday July 12, 2007 8:46 PM


By The Associated Press

Some quotes about Thursday's Iraq report:

``Those who believe that the battle in Iraq is lost will likely point to the unsatisfactory performance on some of the political benchmarks. Those of us who believe the battle in Iraq can and must be won see the satisfactory performance on several of the security benchmarks as a cause for optimism.'' - President Bush.

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``The administration will say that things have been achieved and more will be achieved while others will say there were failures. Still they will both blame Iraqis.'' Sami al-Askari, an adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, on U.S.-funded Alhurra television.

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``After nearly five years of a failed policy in Iraq, we have a duty not just to voice our opposition but to vote today to end the war.'' - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

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``The American people believe that our military commanders, not Washington politicians, are in the best position to make critical national security decision and so do Republicans.'' - House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio.

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``We must change course now, not in September. It is time for the president to listen to the American people and do what is necessary to protect this nation.'' - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

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``What have we learned? We've learned that progress is mixed, that many of the military tasks assigned to the military have been achieved, and that we have not seen sufficient progress on the political benchmarks.'' - Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

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``After more than four years at war in Iraq, the president's so-called 'assessment report' on Iraq is nothing short of chilling.'' - House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md.

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``Our military has demonstrated that progress is possible, and now is not the time to withdraw.'' - Sen. John Kyl, R-Ariz.

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``Nearly five years of combat, 3,610 American lives lost, 26,500 wounded and more than $450 billion spent, and the White House says we are at the 'starting line' in Iraq?'' - Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill.

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``There is nothing in this report that should justify anyone who's not already made up their minds that they want to retreat from Iraq to vote to mandate a retreat from Iraq. The report is too mixed. There's too much on the line in Iraq.'' - Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn.

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``It would be immoral to wait until September to change a failed policy.'' Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.

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``The interim report from Gen. Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker offers a mixed assessment, but provides little reason to think that we will see significant progress on critical benchmarks relating to Iraqi political progress and national reconciliation in the upcoming September assessment or in the foreseeable future.'' Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo.

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``This report is a devastating indictment of this administration's failure to accomplish its most important mission: destroying al-Qaida and the threat it poses.'' - Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del.

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It is clear that George W. Bush is blinded by his own rose-colored glasses. ... As he has placed our faith in the Iraqi government, Iraqi officials continue to fail to meet the most basic of benchmarks of progress.'' - Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn.

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``Don't tell us we're making progress in Iraq when the last three months have been some of the deadliest since this war began for our brave troops who have sacrificed so much. And don't tell us it's progress when the Iraqi leadership has done nothing - nothing - to take the political steps necessary to end their civil war.'' - Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

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