Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

Key Themes and Highlights from April 2008 Petraeus-Crocker Hearings

by Travis Sharp [contact information]

Published on Iraq Insider blog on April 9, 2008

Analysts at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation watched every minute of all four Petraeus-Crocker hearings on April 8 and 9. We sat through over 15 hours of live testimony. We also live blogged events as they were happening on Iraq Insider.

Here's what we think was most important.

PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS

Barack Obama did his homework and used Petraeus against Petraeus.

Hillary Clinton made a simple but forceful point: if the Iraqi Parliament will get to review the long-term agreement between the United States and Iraq, shouldn't the U.S. Congress be allowed to advise, consent, or offer its input on the same agreement?

Petraeus admitted that the Obama and Clinton Iraq policies of withdrawing one brigade per month are doable, when taking into account conditions on the ground. Not exactly an endorsement, but Petraeus didn't call it irresponsible either, as John McCain did again this week.

McCain mixed Al Qaeda up as a Shiite group...again.

REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS

For Republicans (and Lieberman), Iran is the new Al Qaeda (or, for the crazy ones, Latino gangs are the true threat). Petraeus and Crocker fanned the flames on Iran.

Democrats want to connect the cost of Iraq to the ailing economy, are concerned about the U.S.-Iraq long-term pact, and think the opportunity costs of Iraq are great vis-à-vis Afghanistan/Pakistan/Al Qaeda.

EVENTS ON THE GROUND IN IRAQ

Petraeus was adamant that any withdrawal must be "conditions-based," but he wouldn't clear up this ambiguous phrase for Clinton or Bayh.

Petraeus said that the Iraqis "must" make political accomplishments in the coming months, but these accomplishments were supposed to happen during the surge. Moreover, a review of President Bush's promised benchmarks shows that it will likely take longer than "the coming months" to resolve these issues, and that reconciliation is not forthcoming.

Petraeus and Crocker touted the success of the sahwa movement (aka Sons of Iraq, Awakening Councils, Concerned Local Citizens), but they forgot - some - caveats.

IRAQ VS. AFGHANISTAN

Asked if it would be better to take out Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan/Pakistan or Iraq, Crocker admitted that it would be more beneficial for U.S. national security to take out al-Qaeda in Afghanistan/Pakistan first.