No, seriously, how much longer?

What if the Iraqis don't make political progress? Don't ask Petraeus.

Published September 11, 2007 9:12PM (EDT)

Maine Sen. Susan Collins: Let's look ahead a year from now. If a year from now the Iraqi government has still failed to achieve significant political progress, what do we do? How long should we continue to commit American troops, American lives, American treasure if the Iraqis fail to make the political gians that everyone agrees are necessary to quell the sectarian violence?

Gen. David Petraeus: If we arrived at that point a year from now, that is something that I would have to think very, very hard about, and that is my honest answer to you right now. That would be a very, very difficult recommendation to make at that time.


By Tim Grieve

Tim Grieve is a senior writer and the author of Salon's War Room blog.

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Iraq War Susan M. Collins War Room