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Senator Klobuchar Statement on General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker Testimony

September 11, 2007

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar released the following statement in response to testimony by both General David Petreaus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker before separate hearings in front of the Senate Foreign Relations and Senate Armed Services Committees today.

“I have the deepest respect for General Petraeus and all of our brave troops who’ve served in Iraq, both now and in the past.  Despite the good work of our troops, the real results for securing Iraq’s future can come only from the Iraqis themselves, as General Petraeus acknowledges. 

“We need a real change in course in Iraq.  I did not support this war from the beginning.  As we approach nearly five years in Iraq, America’s troop levels in Iraq are now at the highest level they’ve ever been, and every day we see more American and Iraqi casualties – over the course of this war, we’ve lost thousands of lives.  And while I’m pleased to learn that some troops will be returning as early as July, 2008, this plan will only return us to the pre-surge troop levels, leaving approximately 130,000 troops in harm’s way.  Staying the course in Iraq with these high troop levels does not push the Iraqi government to take responsibility for their own security and destiny.

“The surge isn’t only about meeting military objectives – it is about providing the climate for the Iraqi government to achieve political progress – and the Iraqis have not delivered."

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