"We must show the patience of a diplomat and the perseverance of a soldier"

Contact: Matt Lloyd, U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, press office, 202-226-4379

WASHINGTON, April 9 /Standard Newswire/ -- Ranking Member on the Middle East and South Asia Subcommittee, submitted the following statement at the outset of the Petraeus/Crocker Report on Iraq to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on April 9, 2008:

"I welcome back our distinguished witnesses and I thank you both for your extraordinary service to this country. During each of my last two visits to Iraq I was hosted by our esteemed witnesses.  I am glad to return the favor in welcoming them today.

"Tragic events ebb and flow in Iraq.  There is the constant threat of bloodshed and instability.  But the direction is also unmistakable.  Because of the surge and because of newfound cooperation by Sunni Arabs, we are making significant progress in Iraq but that progress is not irreversible. It is still possible to squander those hard fought gains by overconfidence on the battlefield or by initiating a reckless and precipitous withdrawal.

"What I saw first hand in my last two trips to Iraq is born out in the testimony of our witnesses today. Despite the unwillingness of many in Washington to accept it, the surge is working. Significant military and political progress has been achieved during the past 15 months, but the fight is far from over.

"General Petraeus has made repeated references to the "fragile" nature of our successes. I welcome his candor and modesty, but fragile progress is not insignificant progress.  And fragile progress is not unmeasurable progress.  Violence in Iraq in the form of sectarian attacks, civilian and military casualities have been dramatically reduced since the advent of the surge and the American people deserve to know that. However fragile, our gains in Iraq have been substantial and I commend our witnesses for their parts in bringing about this transformational change in Iraq.

"I recall the debate we had on the House floor last year about the President's decision to surge forces in Iraq with new commanders and new tactics. Many current leaders in Congress opposed the surge. Many said the surge would not work, that the war was "lost".

"Because they believed the surge would not work, many said the only way forward in Iraq was backward to retreat and withdrawal. But as our witnesses attest today, the surge is working and the progress, while fragile, has been significant and has paved the way for measurable political progress in Iraq.

"Not all the trends in Iraq are to my liking, to be sure.  I share everyone's concerns about the pace of reform by the Iraqi government and the problem of corruption.

"I yield to no one in my concern for the expenditure of scarce taxpayer resources.  I authored an amendment in 2003 to the Iraq supplemental funding bill, calling for all reconstruction to take the form of a loan.  I still support this.  But focusing on dollar amounts without a view of the overall security situation is short-sighted.

"Practically everyone in Congress has correctly praised our troops' sacrifice and heroism.  Almost all of us have lamented the heavy burden, the operational tempo, required to sustain repeated deployments in support of the War on Terror.  Mobilization of the National Guard and Reserve components affect virtually every congressional district, inducing mine in Indiana. There have been heartbreaking sacrifices in the lives of thousands of American families. But we must not permit those sacrifices to have been in vain.

"To those who clamor for retreat, to those who call for withdrawal before this work is completed, I ask "At what cost?"  At what cost are we willing to accept a politically motivated retreat?  What losses are we ready to accept?  Loss of security?  Loss of prestige?  The loss of more lives?  Loss of blood-bought freedoms for the Iraqi people?

"Let there be no mistake about the consequences of failure in Iraq.  The void created by an untimely American departure, will not be left void.  It will be filled.  We know it will not be filled by friends of freedom and democracy.  And whatever errors or flaws we have witnessed in our strategy to-date, they will pale in comparison to the tragedy and destruction awaiting us and the Iraqi people if we fail to bring this matter to a successful conclusion.

"To turn our backs on a widening American success at this critical time would ensure a widening conflict, expanding tyranny and growing human misery.

"America has always had to make the hard decisions in defense of liberty.  Ours is a noble tradition of running into the burning building while others are running out.  Our forefathers and our men and women in the field today know why they sacrifice even when some forget.  Again, we are faced with difficult decisions.  Experts will debate which strategies worked and which ones did not, but history will judge either our resolve in the battle against freedom's foes, or it will record our retreat and the human tragedy which followed.

"Mr. Chairman, at this critical hour, we must show the patience of a diplomat and the perseverance of a soldier.  On behalf of our national interest and in defense of the cause of liberty, we must advance, not retreat.  We must advance with responsible diplomatic efforts and advance with reasonable security measures.  Strategies may change, but our resolve must not.  This is our duty."

Photo: Congressman Pence Greets General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker