Press Conference with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY); House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-OH); and Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)

Statement

PRESS CONFERENCE WITH SENATE MINORITY LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY); HOUSE MINORITY LEADER REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH); AND SENATOR JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (I-CT)

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SEN. MCCONNELL: Okay, good morning everyone. We're joined today by members of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Vets for Freedom and the Gold Star Mothers. It is because of efforts of soldiers and Marines like the men and women we have here today and the families that support them that we're seeing significant progress in Iraq.

Democrats agreed, many of them, that the Petraeus report in September would serve as an evaluation of progress in Iraq, but now many are downplaying the significance of the report and General Petraeus as a commander because apparently it's not news that many were hoping for. Will the general's critics support the efforts of our fighting forces in Iraq or settle for simply a political victory here at home? That's the fundamental question.

These patriotic Americans deserve to be heard who are with us today. They have personal valuable observations and experiences. General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker also deserve to be heard when they come up here in the Senate next week and in the House. That's what the Senate voted on. These reports that they're making were actually written into law. We indicated we would pay attention to them, that they would carry weight with us. They shouldn't be dismissed before they're even announced, and my advice to everyone is to listen to what Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus have to say.

And we're pleased today to be here in the presence of these great supporters who are behind us.

With that, let me call on Leader Boehner.

REP. BOEHNER: Well, Senator McConnell, thank you, and I think all of us realize that next week marks a defining moment in what America will do in Iraq. Republicans here in Washington, both on the Hill and in the White House, have made clear all year that we should wait until we hear from the generals on the ground as to what we should do in order to have success in Iraq.

Now, General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker will be here next week, and our mission today is to urge our colleagues to listen -- listen closely to what General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker have to say. We know that there has been success, and I think we're all anxious to know what the next steps in Iraq are likely to be so that we can ensure success and ensure that Iraqis take greater control of their own destiny, which would then allow our troops to begin coming home.

But it's important that we outline that we have had success. We've got challenges, but I think we're all interested in what those next steps are going to be to ensure that we do in fact have success in Iraq.

And so I'm glad to be here with these supporters of our troops, the supporters of our generals and the supporters here of our efforts to make sure that we succeed in Iraq, because success in Iraq will ensure greater security here at home not only for tomorrow but for our children and grandchildren. And I'm glad to be here.

SEN. MCCONNELL: Joe?

SEN. LIEBERMAN: Thank you, Mitch. I am honored to be here. I particularly want to thank the representatives and leaders of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Vets for Freedom, the Gold Star Mother and Gold Star Wife for their patriotism, for their service and for taking the time to come to Washington at this critical moment.

The report that's going to be given by General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker next week and the votes that will undoubtedly ensue here in which some of our colleagues will attempt to force a retreat from Iraq by American forces are not just another series of votes. They represent, in my opinion, a critical crossroads for America, which history will judge as a turning point in the direction of safety and strength or defeat and weakness.

And for that reason, your presence here is critically important. It's an honor to stand in the company of these American heroes. Veterans know better than anyone the costs that America has paid in war, including in this war, but they also know that the costs, if we retreat from Iraq, will be even higher. And they know that this is a fight we can win, we must win and that today we can confidently say we are winning.

Eight months ago, opponents of the surge here in Congress insisted that the surge was just more of same. They were wrong. They said that the new strategy that General Petraeus was leading had been tried before and failed and would fail again, and again they were wrong. Some even said that the war was already lost. They were self- evidently wrong then and powerfully wrong today.

Today, even some opponents of the Iraq war have now come to acknowledge General Petraeus and our men and women in uniform are making significant and impressive progress in Iraq. Unfortunately, some of our colleagues stubbornly refuse to acknowledge the achievements of our troops and continue to insist on imposing arbitrary deadlines for withdrawal and retreat. Before General Petraeus has even had a chance to testify, some have gone as far as to suggest that our troops have accomplished basically nothing, that we have made no meaningful progress. That is simply wrong and a disservice to the men and women who serve us today in Iraq.

It's high time that some of our colleagues remove their blinders and acknowledge reality. We are defeating al Qaeda in Iraq today. We are defeating the same al Qaeda that attacked us on September 11th. We are reducing the sectarian violence that is being inflamed by Iran, and after years of frustration and, yes, errors, we are at last turning the situation around in Iraq. Of course we have difficult challenges ahead. That's what war is unfortunately about. But what are the alternatives being proposed by the opponents of the Petraeus strategy?

Let's be clear. Whatever the shortcomings of our friends in Iraq -- General Jim Jones and his commission have just told Senator McCain and I and the other members of the Armed Services Committee the Iraqi security forces are making real progress, but whatever the shortcomings, these shortcomings are no excuse to surrender to our enemies in Iraq: al Qaeda and Iran. That's the hard truth. You cannot be serious about defeating al Qaeda while demanding that we retreat from al Qaeda in Iraq. You cannot be serious about meeting the challenge that Iran represents to us constantly shouting death to America while demanding the retreat of the American military from Iraq, leaving a vacuum that Iran's own president said last week his regime would rush in to fill.

Eight months ago, the Bush administration looked hard at the evidence and changed course in Iraq. It's time for the opponents of the war here in Iraq to do the same.

Thank you.

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