Transcript of The Times interview with General Petraeus (Sept. changes nothing)

[babylonsister]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article1963400.ece?token=null&offset=0

Transcript of The Times interview with General Petraeus

U.S. Army General David H. Petraeus speaks during a Change of Command ceremony in the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad June 10, 2007. Top U.S. commander in Iraq General David H. Petraeus hosted a ceremony in which Lieutenant-General Martin E. Dempsey relinquished command to Lieutenant-General James M. Dubik, including his responsibilities as commander of the Multi-National Security Transition Command. REUTERS/Wathiq Khuzaie/Pool (IRAQ)
Richard Beeston

Interview by Richard Beeston with General David Petraeus in Baghdad on June 20 2007.


snip//

Your mission sounds like a long one, what about the informal deadline set by your return in mid-September to report back to the Congress in Washington?

“That is a deadline for a report not a deadline for a change in policy, at least not that I am aware of. Ambassador Crocker and I intend to go back and provide a snapshot at that time, however focused the photograph is at that time and begin to describe what has been achieved and what has not been achieved and also to provide some sense of implications of courses of action. Neither of us is under any illusion.”

Would you like the surge to continue indefinitely?

“It depends on what the sense is for the prospects of achieving Iraq’s constitution. I hope that we can put time back on the Washington clock. Al-Qaeda is keenly aware of the Washington clock. They are obviously going to have a surge of their own. You saw an example of this yesterday. They wanted to make sure that the headlines about the launch of the offensive don’t create too much hope."

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[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. Translation: "Just give us more mony, more troops, and more time.....and we'll win in Vietnam.

Same song different war.

[MiniMe]

2. I believe that Congresses terms were that he had until September to see

if it is working. It was to be re-evaluated at that point. Newflash, it isn't working. Bush is just trying to run out the clock so we don't "lose" during his Presidency.