General Petraeus does not know if our work in Iraq will make us safer.

Like many of you today I watched the report General Petraeus gave Washington regarding the success (or lack thereof) of the troop surge in Iraq. He says we need the full surge forces at least until next summer and that at that time we will not renew the contract of 30,000 soldiers (they will leave at their planned time).

However, when pressed by Republicans like John Warner and Chuck Hagel and Democrats like Joe Biden he seemed very vague and unsure in regards to Bush's stated goal of making the US safer and "fighting them there so we don't have to fight them here". In fact, watching his response was almost shocking in it's ambiguity and lack of clarity.

From the New York Times:

Senator John W. Warner, the Republican of Virginia who is one of the party’s leading voices on foreign policy, asked whether the current strategy in Iraq is “making America safer.” General Petraeus first retreated to an explanation that he is doing his best “to achieve our objectives in Iraq.”

But when pressed again, he said: “Sir, I don’t know, actually.”

You can draw your own conclusions.

Bush speaks on Thursday will mention a troop withdrawal. Keep it mind we will only withdraw a portion of the troops included in the surge Bush implemented in the spring and summer. We still have a ton of young men and women over there indefinitely.