Skelton Fears Iraq Leaves U.S. Vulnerable to Attack

“What we don’t have yet is a real budget number for 2009. Also, we don’t have a number for the out years beyond 2009,” Spratt said.

Duncan Hunter of California, the committee’s top Republican, touted recent security improvements and said the Iraqi government has in fact taken significant steps towards passing needed laws.

“As a result of these gains, the Iraqi government was able to enact the necessary de-Baathification, provincial powers and pensions laws, as well as their 2008 budget, and continue work on provincial elections and hydrocarbons laws,” Hunter said, “For a new democracy, these are significant accomplishments.”

Hunter also worked to characterize recent violence in southern Iraq, which included a huge offensive by Iraqi government forces against forces of the radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, as a positive development.

“Now some media outlets, experts and others note that the recent operations in Basra and elsewhere have highlighted the failure of Prime Minister Maliki to lead effectively,” said Hunter. “I disagree.”

Petraeus said several sections of Basra are still under militia control. On Tuesday, he said the Iraqi government had not planned adequately and admitted he had only learned about the offensive two days before it began.

“Many of these issues will have to be resolved politically, not militarily,” Petraeus said.

In questioning Wednesday, Skelton asked Petraeus what conditions would permit him to recommend to Army leadership that troop deployments could be reduced from 15 to 12 months, to match the length of their rest time at home between deployments.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Robert Casey has stated he want to reduce deployment times as soon as possible, but the administration hasn’t committed to a schedule.

Petraeus declined to specify what markers would permit shorter deployments, but touted the removal by mid-summer of troops sent to Iraq in 2007 to implement the president’s “surge” strategy.

Under Petraeus’ plan, the U.S. troop level in Iraq is expected to drop from 156,000 currently deployed to about 140,000 by the end of July. He recommended a 45-day pause in drawdowns after that for a period of “consolidation and evaluation,” followed by an indefinite “assessment” period.

President Bush intends to announce his endorsement of Petraeus’ recommendations Thursday.

Petraeus and Crocker repeated, often word for word, what they told the Senate counterpart committees Tuesday: Iraq is making steady but fragile progress, and they will recommend a large American troop presence there for the foreseeable future.

Skelton Fears Iraq Leaves U.S. Vulnerable to Attack

Concerns expressed about Iran

Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee appeared particularly focused on Iran and its role in the war and the wider region.

“The most disturbing strategic development of the war is that Iran, the most dangerous state in the region, so far has emerged as the winner,” said Chairman Howard L. Berman , D-Calif. “Their enemy Saddam is gone, and in his place is a government seemingly very open to Iranian friendship and influence.”

The Shiite Islamic country is believed to be arming many of the Shiite militias battling for control of Baghdad and southern Iraq and helped broker a cease fire between Iraqi government forces and the militias after a government offensive stalled.

At the same time, lawmakers criticized Iraq’s apparent embrace of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad on a recent visit to Baghdad.

That meeting has forced Crocker to defend “constructive relations” between the neighboring countries, which he said are necessary, while at the same time condemning the Iranians for undermining the Iraqi government.

The panel’s ranking Republican, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, called Iran’s arming and training of militias a “proxy war against us in Iraq.”

Iran represents a key threat as Congress considers redeploying troops, she said.

“We must consider the consequences of our policy decisions and recognize that immediate disengagement would only embolden the forces of radical Islam and leave an enormous power vacuum in Iraq – one to be filled by the regime in Iran, with its proxies in Iraq and throughout the region,” she said.

Strings Sought

Democratic leaders were troubled by Petraeus’ announcement about sustaining troop levels in Iraq and said they would find ways to attach policy strings to the upcoming supplemental spending and Defense authorization bills.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher , R-Calif., said he would introduce a resolution Thursday that would call on the president to condition any long-term agreement with Iraq on the Iraqis assuming the cost of U.S. military action there.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nev., met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif., late Tuesday to discuss their legislative plans. And House and Senate leaders from both parties planned to meet Wednesday with Bush, who wanted to hear their views about the Petraeus and Crocker testimony, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

Skelton Fears Iraq Leaves U.S. Vulnerable to Attack

Reid revealed Wednesday that he has a number of meetings lined up with Speaker Pelosi to discuss proceding with the war supplemental.

Though he refused to enumerate those options, Reid did say that he had a “good conversation” today with David R. Obey , D-Wis., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee Wednesday; he also spoke with the chief of staff of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert C. Byrd , D-W.V.

“I think we’re in a position with lots of alternatives and we’re going to weigh the options of everyone of them,” said Reid.

U.S. reconstruction aid to Iraq is one likely target for legislative action.

Steve Chabot , R-Ohio, said that the country has the second-highest known oil reserves in the world and cash reserves as well.

“Doesn’t it just make sense that record-high oil [prices] should help pay for Iraq’s rebuilding, rather than the hard pressed U.S. taxpayers?” he asked.

“It does indeed,” responded Crocker, “and that is exactly the road we are moving down. We are out of the construction business in Iraq. Reconstruction from here on in is going to be an Iraqi financial responsibility. They are stepping up to that.  . . .  Their ability to spend it is also improving.”

Reid said Tuesday that provisions transforming U.S. reconstruction assistance from grants to loans could become part of the fiscal 2009 defense authorization bill, the fiscal 2008 war supplemental spending bill or both.

Reid said he wants both measures to move before lawmakers leave for the Memorial Day recess.

House Minority Whip Roy Blunt , a Republican from Missouri, also said Tuesday that the time has come for Congress to consider limiting future reconstruction aid for Iraq to loans.

“We’re at the point now where the idea is worth exploring, the idea of transferring the economic responsibility to the Iraqis, just as we are transferring security responsibilities,’’ Blunt said.