MEDIA ADVISORY, Monday, September 10, 2007
CONTACT: Yoni Cohen, Stark (202) 225-3202

Washington, D.C. – Representative Pete Stark (D-CA) today responded to General David Petraeus’ testimony before the House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees.

“Up is not down, the earth is not flat, and the surge is not working,” said Stark. ”In his testimony before Congress, General Petraeus sounded like a broken record for the Bush Administration. Rather than speak factually about the lack of progress and the rising death toll in Iraq, Petraeus chose to carry water for the President who appointed him.

“As the independent and non-partisan Government Accountability Office reported last week, Iraq failed to meet 15 of the 18 political and security benchmarks President Bush himself had deemed critical to evaluating the surge. No matter. Petraeus and Bush remain stubbornly committed to a war the American public opposes,” Stark continued.

“Petraeus’ willingness to withdraw thousands of troops by next summer is too little, too late. So are suggestions that the United States should wait another six minutes, six months or six years to bring all of our troops home. Only our immediate and complete withdrawal will compel Sunnis and Shiites to make political compromises and bring an end to Iraq’s civil war.

“For the sake of America and Iraq, I will continue to oppose additional funding for the war and to work with my colleagues to bring our brave men and women home,” concluded Stark.