Voices

‘We have let Gen. Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker do this independently, and we have not tried to play any role in shaping, in influencing, in dictating, in doing anything with regard to the content of what they do.’

-- Tony Snow

White House spokesman

‘It is time to change the mission of our troops to one that will promote regional stability and combat terrorism, so that the numbers of our brave men and women in uniform in Iraq can be reduced on a much more aggressive timetable than the one outlined today by Gen. Petraeus.’

-- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco)

‘As long as American troops are doing the heavy lifting in Iraq, there is no reason, none at all, for the Iraqis themselves to step up. Military progress without political progress is meaningless. It is their country, and it is their turn.’

-- Rep. Tom Lantos

(D-Burlingame)

‘A secure, stable, Democratic Iraq at peace with its neighbors is, in my view, attainable.’

-- U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker

‘As Congress prepares to take our next steps in support of our troops, we are faced with a critical choice. Will we ignore the progress we’ve made and play politics with the security of our nation, or will we finally listen to the generals?’

-- House Minority Leader John A. Boehner

(R-Ohio)

‘It is no exaggeration to say that Iraq is, and will remain for some time to come, a traumatized society. It is against this backdrop that development in Iraqi national politics must be seen.’

-- Ambassador Crocker

‘Gen. Petraeus is . . . the leader of more than 160,000 American personnel in uniform in Iraq. And they’re not only watching his testimony, but they’re also watching our testimony. They’re watching how we treat him. They’re watching this Congress to see if we give credibility to what people in uniform say.’

-- Rep. Duncan Hunter

(R-El Cajon)