By Billy House
Media General News Service
Media General News Service
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WASHINGTON - Florida's Democratic U.S. Senator Bill Nelson wondered if the U.S. troop surge in Iraq has really helped bring that country closer together.
Florida Republican Sen. Mel Martinez wanted to know more about Iran's role in continued bloodshed there.
Their turns at questioning of Gen. David Petraeus Tuesday may have raised different specific concerns.
But in doing so, they both helped to unerscore how fragile the conditions in Iraq remain a year after 20,000 additional U.S. troops were sent there.
Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, appeared alongside U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad Ryan Crocker before the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees.
The number of U.S. troops should return to "pre-surge" levels this summer, said Petraeus. But he also said the military should evaluate conditions before making further decisions.
Iraq is making "fragile but reversible" progress on security, he said.
But in follow-up questioning, Nelson asked about the existence of "any credible evidence" that political fragmentation in Iraq is lessening, a year after that U.S. troop surge?
Nelson pointed to what he called "some disturbing testimony" last week from retired generals that the political situation in Iraq remains highly fragmented.
Nelson noted that unifying the country politically had been billed as one of the main goals of the U.S. troop surge.
"So, I go back to the original predicate with which we talked about the surge. Has the political conciliation happened?" asked Nelson.
Petraeus responded there has been agreement among different political parties on "a number of important pieces of conciliation," such as laws passed on pension reform and provincial government powers.
"That's a step in the right direction," said Nelson.
But the Florida Democrat pressed further: ""Have those laws been implemented to the point that we can see in Iraq that there is this political reconciliation, which the goal, in the first place - coming back to over a year ago - of the surge?" asked Nelson.
Said Crocker: "Yes, I think they are moving in the right direction. But yes, I also believe they've got an awful lot more in front of them."
Here's Nelson's questioning, and Petraeus and Crocker's answers:
Later, under Martinez questioning, Petraeus said there is clear evidence that some Iraqi insurgents are being armed and trained by Iran's elite Kudz force.
"I know for a long time we've talked about the need for us to engage and talk to Iran," said Martinez. "I guess it's difficult to talk to someone who does not want to talk back, or whose actions may not be in good faith."
Martinez asked Petraeus specifically about the source of 107 mm rockets being fired by Iraqi insurgents upon the international zone in Baghdad.
"They have come from Iran, there's no question about it," Petraeus said.
Petraeus also said the U.S. has evidence of groups of insurgents being recruited, brought to Iran, trained and funded by the Kudz force, an elite unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
Responded Martinez: "So they are participating -- the Kudz force from Iran is participating -- in recruitment, training, financing, all but the execution - and I suppose in some instances maybe the execution - of attacks on our forces, as well?"
"I can't speak to the execution directly," said Petreaus.
But Petraeus said there's "a clear sense" that they've participated in some "direction" of the attacks.
Here's Martinez' questioning, and Petraeus' answers:
Reporter Billy House can be reached at bhouse@mediageneral.com or at 1 (202) 662-7673
Florida Republican Sen. Mel Martinez wanted to know more about Iran's role in continued bloodshed there.
Their turns at questioning of Gen. David Petraeus Tuesday may have raised different specific concerns.
But in doing so, they both helped to unerscore how fragile the conditions in Iraq remain a year after 20,000 additional U.S. troops were sent there.
Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, appeared alongside U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad Ryan Crocker before the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees.
The number of U.S. troops should return to "pre-surge" levels this summer, said Petraeus. But he also said the military should evaluate conditions before making further decisions.
Iraq is making "fragile but reversible" progress on security, he said.
But in follow-up questioning, Nelson asked about the existence of "any credible evidence" that political fragmentation in Iraq is lessening, a year after that U.S. troop surge?
Nelson pointed to what he called "some disturbing testimony" last week from retired generals that the political situation in Iraq remains highly fragmented.
Nelson noted that unifying the country politically had been billed as one of the main goals of the U.S. troop surge.
"So, I go back to the original predicate with which we talked about the surge. Has the political conciliation happened?" asked Nelson.
Petraeus responded there has been agreement among different political parties on "a number of important pieces of conciliation," such as laws passed on pension reform and provincial government powers.
"That's a step in the right direction," said Nelson.
But the Florida Democrat pressed further: ""Have those laws been implemented to the point that we can see in Iraq that there is this political reconciliation, which the goal, in the first place - coming back to over a year ago - of the surge?" asked Nelson.
Said Crocker: "Yes, I think they are moving in the right direction. But yes, I also believe they've got an awful lot more in front of them."
Here's Nelson's questioning, and Petraeus and Crocker's answers:
Later, under Martinez questioning, Petraeus said there is clear evidence that some Iraqi insurgents are being armed and trained by Iran's elite Kudz force.
"I know for a long time we've talked about the need for us to engage and talk to Iran," said Martinez. "I guess it's difficult to talk to someone who does not want to talk back, or whose actions may not be in good faith."
Martinez asked Petraeus specifically about the source of 107 mm rockets being fired by Iraqi insurgents upon the international zone in Baghdad.
"They have come from Iran, there's no question about it," Petraeus said.
Petraeus also said the U.S. has evidence of groups of insurgents being recruited, brought to Iran, trained and funded by the Kudz force, an elite unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
Responded Martinez: "So they are participating -- the Kudz force from Iran is participating -- in recruitment, training, financing, all but the execution - and I suppose in some instances maybe the execution - of attacks on our forces, as well?"
"I can't speak to the execution directly," said Petreaus.
But Petraeus said there's "a clear sense" that they've participated in some "direction" of the attacks.
Here's Martinez' questioning, and Petraeus' answers:
Reporter Billy House can be reached at bhouse@mediageneral.com or at 1 (202) 662-7673