Hagel: "Where is this going?"

Maverick Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel asks some tough questions of Gen. Petraeus during Tuesday's hearing about the war in Iraq.

AP Photo/Susan Walsh

Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Sen. Chuck Hagel, R- Neb., questions Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker on the future course of the war in Iraq, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2007, during a hearing of the committee on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Sept. 11, 2007 | Mr. Chairman, thank you.

Gentlemen, welcome.

As Senator Dodd and others have noted this morning, every American is proud of the service of our American military and those who are serving in what ever capacity in a very difficult situation in Iraq. And we should not, at all, confuse the sense of support and the gratitude that all Americans have for your leadership and your service.

That said, we, just as you, each have responsibilities. We are elected by the people of our states. To question strategy is not unpatriotic.

Now, with that said, Ambassador, General, when you look at, and I know you have, the preceding reports that we have talked about today -- and you have added to with information numbers, General Jones' report, the General Accountability report. I spent some time with Stuart Bowen, the I.G. for Iraq reconstruction. Of the latest national intelligence estimates, Anthony Cordesman's latest report [sic]. Thread throughout those reports, and then listening carefully to what the two of you said this morning, are some very bright line contradictions.

Now, let's start with one that almost everyone that I am aware of has said the core issue is, the most important issue, and that is political reconciliation.

And I have quotes from you, General Petraeus, and you, Ambassador Crocker, from the president, every senior member of our government, involved in our policy and our strategy in Iraq -- all agree, as you said, General Petraeus, that there will be no military solution in Iraq.

Now, when you look at the reports, let's start with the question I asked the comptroller general last week when I asked him his analysis of the current Iraqi government: Is it a functioning government? And his response to me was: At best, it is dysfunctional. You may disagree with that.

But when you take the sum total analysis of these reports that we've look at, they lead us to a pretty clear conclusion, that, in fact, this government in Iraq is dysfunctional.

And when you add further to what the chief of staff of the United States Army had to say, General Casey, about tactical effects of surges and how minimal they are, and how they will, as Admiral Fallon has said, quote, "No amount of time or troops will make much difference, unless there is a political reconciliation," I doubt if either or you disagree with that analysis. If you do, please tell the committee why.

The other part of this is that it seems to me logical that when you flood a zone with more troops, when you put more troops in Baghdad or Anbar province, you're going to see some consequence to that, you're going to see some result.

So I don't think that's particularly news, that where we have inserted more American troops, costing more American lives, we've seen some differences.

But just as one of the most flawed dynamics of our policy invading Iraq four and a half years ago is we never had enough troops, we still don't have enough troops, so it seems to be logical that it would follow.

But when you look at the southern part of Iraq, which I noted that neither one of you noted today, one of the senior members of General Jones' task force said to me when he returned, "We've probably lost southern Iraq."

I said, "You must be kidding."

He said, "No." He said the four provinces of southern Iraq are gone. They are lawless. There is no Iraqi national army down there. The police are corrupt, as indicated in General Jones' report, incidentally, as well as others.

The British used to have 40,000 troops in Iraq. As you well know, they are at about 5,000. They're huddled in the airport in Basra.

What I was told by not just this individual from General Jones' group, but other reports, intelligence reports and other reports I get, actually in the newspaper, is lawless gangs of marauders, of Shia militia, are in charge in Basra and those four provinces.

As you both know, two governors have been assassinated in the last two months. I was told by one individual who has been down there recently that we are actually essentially paying tribute to these people to keep open the port.

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