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Petraeus Foils Senators Seeking Exit  

Posted Apr 9, 08 7:09 AM CDT in Politics    Most Covered

(newser) – David Petraeus and Ryan Crocker head back to Capitol Hill this morning after a grueling day of testimony that was short on substance and clear goals, writes the Washington Post. Pressed repeatedly yesterday to describe what "conditions" they would like to see before recommending a troop withdrawal, the general and ambassador parried for 8 straight hours, offering bromides like "battlefield geometry" and "political-military calculus."

"I think people want a sense of what the end is going to look like," said one Republican senator. But on that point Petraeus and Crocker offered no specifics. The pair's evasion of specific goals, let alone the timetable, led Armed Services committee chair Carl Levin to dismiss their testimony as "just the next page in a war plan with no exit strategy."

Source Washington Post

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Petraeus Foils Senators Seeking Exit
Democratic president hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, greets Gen. David Petraeus on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 8, 2008, prior...   (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Petraeus Foils Senators Seeking Exit
Gen. David Petraeus testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 8, 2008, before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the status of the war in Iraq.   (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Petraeus Foils Senators Seeking Exit
Gen. David Petraeus, left, and Amb. Ryan Crocker prepare to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 8, 2008, before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the status of the war in...   (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Petraeus Foils Senators Seeking Exit
Photographers surround Gen. David Petraeus and Amb. Ryan Crocker as they prepare to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 8, 2008, before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on...   (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Petraeus Foils Senators Seeking Exit
Gen. David Petraeus, left, listens as Ambassador Ryan Crocker testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 8, 2008, before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the status of the war...   (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Petraeus Foils Senators Seeking Exit
Gen. David Petraeus testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 8, 2008, before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the status of the war in Iraq.   (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Petraeus Foils Senators Seeking Exit
Gen. David Petraeus listens to questions on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 8, 2008, during the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the status of the war in Iraq.   (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
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Iraq  • John McCain  • Congress  • David Petraeus  • Ryan Crocker  • Iraq exit strategy  • Carl Levin  • Armed Services Committee  • Petraeus Crocker plan


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