GEN. LUTE ON IRAQ

(Excerpts from his Senate confirmation hearing, 6/7/07¹)

GEN. LUTE: Where are we today? Not where any of us would like. Especially in Iraq, progress has been too little and too slow.

Asked about how much leverage we have over the Iraqi government to come to a political solution:

GEN. LUTE: Senator, only to the extent that, as I just indicated, I have reservations about just how much leverage we can apply on a system that is not very capable right now.

Lute turns into a war whore:

SEN. LIEBERMAN: Excuse me a second. I thank you again for that comment, and so therefore, I presume you would say that anyone who says that we should pull out of Iraq so we can focus on fighting al Qaeda has missed the point, that in fact al Qaeda today is our main enemy in Iraq.

GEN. LUTE: I'd agree with you that that's correct.


Lute then turns rational again:

GEN. LUTE: I think, Senator, when you consider beyond simply the security setting but also looking at the opportunities presented to the Iraqi government to make progress on important political and economic measures, along the -- with the intent of reconciliation, that I share that at best the progress has been uneven.

SEN. BAYH:...So my question would be, do you share the intelligence community's assessment that the political steps toward reconciliation are likely to be marginal at best by the end of this calendar year?

GEN. LUTE: Senator, my assessment would be that they have a very full agenda and have shown so far very little progress.



Back to war whore:

GEN. LUTE: Again, Senator, I think we have to balance those sorts of assessments, which I think have some credibility, with a gross adjustment in the other direction, which might feature leaving Iraq to al Qaeda.

Back to rational:

SEN. SESSIONS: ... Would you agree that one of the key components of any success we might have in Iraq is to make progress in those other areas than just the military?

GEN. LUTE: Absolutely. I think the military is -- performs and provides a necessary contribution to this picture, but by itself it's insufficient.

SEN. LEVIN: The -- I think there's an inconsistency there. I'll just leave it at that. Do you believe, General, that the debate that we've had in the Congress on amendments that call for troop reductions starting at a certain point or -- that those debates undermine the troops?

GEN. LUTE: Senator, I know of no evidence of that. ...

SEN. LEVIN: So is it your answer, then, you do not believe that --

GEN. LUTE: I don't believe it undercuts their morale.

¹Federal News Service
June 7, 2007 Thursday
SECTION: CAPITOL HILL HEARING
LENGTH: 16150 words
HEADLINE: MORNING SESSION OF A HEARING OF THE SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE;
SUBJECT: THE NOMINATION OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL DOUGLAS LUTE TO BE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER FOR IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN;
CHAIRED BY: SENATOR CARL LEVIN (D-MI);
WITNESS: LIEUTENANT GENERAL DOUGLAS LUTE, U.S. ARMY;
LOCATION: 216 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D.C.

Federal News Service
June 7, 2007 Thursday
SECTION: CAPITOL HILL HEARING
LENGTH: 3397 words
HEADLINE: AFTERNOON SESSION OF A HEARING OF THE SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE;
SUBJECT: THE NOMINATION OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL DOUGLAS LUTE TO BE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER FOR IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN;
CHAIRED BY: SENATOR CARL LEVIN (D-MI);
WITNESS: LIEUTENANT GENERAL DOUGLAS LUTE, U.S. ARMY;
LOCATION: 216 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D.C.