While it seemed very cordial, Obama was able to hit Petraeus and Crocker very hard. Obama took them down a path. First, on Al Qaeda on Iraq. He got Petraeus to agree with him that the total elimination of Al Qaeda is an impossible standard for withdrawal. Next he goes after Crocker's points about Iranian influence, pointing out that both Iran and Al Qaeda are in Iraq because we invaded and that we can not expect to eliminate Iranian involvement.
Then came the hammer. Obama pointed out that if the definition of success is put so high - no Al Qaeda, no Iranian influence, a prosperous diverse democracy we will be there forever. He then points out that we still, after 8 hours of testimony, have no definition of success.
Crocker's weak response its "hard and complicated."
And he points out, something that we have been saying all day, they have no definition of success.
He said: "The problem I have is that if the definition of success is so high, no traces of Al Qaeda and no possibility of reconstitution, a highly effective Iraqi government, a democratic multi ethnic, multi sectarian functioning democracy, no Iranian influence, at least not the kind that we like, then that portends the possibility of us staying for 20 or 30 years."Verdict? Impressive! As I listened to him, I could almost feel Gen. Petraus and Amb. Crocker acknowledge that this guy asking the questions might be their next commander in chief. You could see the respect, the deference in their tone and answers. You could almost imagine them standing up and saluting. As for the substance, it was like Obama was sincerely trying to find out a solution to the Iraq mess.
The man is intelligent, very very intelligent. Everybody was waiting for this, even the Senators.
You can read another analysis of Obama, here- http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_stump/archive/2008/04/08/obama-at-the-hearing.aspx or Travis Sharp's account here http://theiraqinsider.blogspot.com/2008/04/obama-uses-petraeus-against-petraeus.html|
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