Rep. Scott Garrett on Gen. Petraeus

“I first want to commend General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker for their work on behalf of our troops and on behalf of our nation’s security into the future. The safety and well-being of our troops and the security for our nation that their mission now provides must always be our guiding objectives, and I am confident that these men share that belief.

"And, this is all the more reason that the Democrat leadership needs to stand with their Republican colleagues in calling on MoveOn.org to apologize for its despicable ad in today’s New York Times, which sought to discredit General Petraeus personally and on the basis of his anticipated report before his report was presented. This ad was disrespectful and utterly uncalled for. I believe in free speech, but this was an irresponsible use of such a sacred right. Not only did it fail to move us toward a bipartisan consensus on progress in Iraq; it may have actually set us back a few steps.

"I was pleased to hear that General Petraeus expects that we can safely bring a brigade home by December of this year, and shortly thereafter he will drop the troop numbers down to the pre-surge level. The men and women who risk their lives for our nation and our security, and the families that await their return, have earned this, particularly given the progress that appears to be being made in Iraq.

"I am encouraged by what I have heard, and remain committed to working with my colleagues to find a bipartisan strategy to stop playing politics with our troops’ lives and our long-term security; to complete our mission and to bring our troops home; and to ensure that no permanent occupancy of Iraq is established. There is simply no need for permanent US military bases in Iraq. And, given the broad bipartisan support that that position has enjoyed in each vote in the House, this may be the place to begin to build that much-needed bipartisan consensus.”