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CODEL PRESS CONFERENCE WITH SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ); SENATOR RUSSELL FEINGOLD (D-WI); SENATOR JOHN THUNE (R-SD); GOVERNOR JON HUNTSMAN (R-UT); GOVERNOR BOB RILEY (R-AL); GOVERNOR TIM PAWLENTY (R-MN); GOVERNOR JOE SCHWARZ (R-MI); REPRESENTATIVE TOM UDALL (D-NM); REPRESENTATIVE MARK KIRK (R-IL)

Multi-National Force-Iraq

Friday, 24 March 2006

Briefers: Senators John McCain, Russell Feingold, John Thune; Governors Jon Huntsman, Bob Riley, Tim Pawlenty, Joe Schwarz; Representatives Tom Udall and Mark Kirk

CODEL PRESS CONFERENCE WITH SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ); SENATOR RUSSELL FEINGOLD (D-WI); SENATOR JOHN THUNE (R-SD); GOVERNOR JON HUNTSMAN (R-UT); GOVERNOR BOB RILEY (R-AL); GOVERNOR TIM PAWLENTY (R-MN); GOVERNOR JOE SCHWARZ (R-MI); REPRESENTATIVE TOM UDALL (D-NM); REPRESENTATIVE MARK KIRK (R-IL) LOCATION: COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER, BAGHDAD, IRAQ DATE: SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2006

SEN. MCCAIN: Before I begin my formal remarks, I'd like to say informally, on behalf of a lot of us, we appreciate very much what you do. We know that many of your colleagues have been killed and injured trying to perform what you are doing, and you have our admiration and appreciation for bringing information to the American people, especially at this very crucial time in the history of our involvement in Iraq .

I would like to introduce my colleagues who are with me, two members of the Senate, three members of the House, and three of our governors. I might mention that our three governors obviously have members of the Guard from their states who have been here as many as three times, and we are particularly pleased to have them with us. From the Senate, Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin and Senator John Thune of South Dakota . From the House of Representatives, Congressman Mark Kirk of Illinois, Congressman Joe Schwarz of Michigan and Congressman Tom Udall of New Mexico . Our governors are Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota , Governor John Huntsman of Utah , and last but not least as our quietest member of our group, Governor Bob Riley of the state of Alabama . And if it's agreeable, we'll just make very brief opening remarks and then respond to any questions that you might have.

We've had a full day. We're very glad to be here. We've had a lot of meetings. We'll be on the road tomorrow. Obviously our message to the Iraqi officials that we've met with is that we need very badly to form this unity government as soon as possible. We read the polls and we know that the American people have grown frustrated. Yet we also know the stakes are very high and success is vital. We're also aware that this is a crucial time as we move from American military responsibilities being assumed by the Iraqi military more and more. We hope that process can continue successfully, and we recognize how critical that aspect of it is. We are concerned about the lack of economic development and oil production, and obviously the formation of a unity government is of prime importance at this time.

SEN. FEINGOLD: I want to thank you for being here, and I want to thank Senator McCain for bringing together this group of leaders from all over the United States . First and foremost, and the governors being here reminds of that, we want to first thank our servicemen and women for their brave service here and around the world. And that is a very important purpose of this trip. As a group we agree -- not on everything -- but we certainly agree on what Senator McCain has just said, which is that it is a critical time for this government of national unity to be created. Whatever people thought in the first place about this invasion of Iraq , whatever they may think about the way it's been conducted, all Americans want this effort to create this government to succeed.

I especially want to thank Senator McCain for including me on the trip, because we do not always see eye to eye on these issues. I'm a member of both the Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committee, and some of the issues that I want to make sure I can pursue here include the relationship of this situation to the international fight against al Qaeda and what the situation is with regard to al-Zarqawi and to what extent he uses this as a base to advance the causes of al Qaeda throughout the world as well as in Iraq.

Secondly, it's an important question to ask what our continued significant military presence here creates. Obviously it does many good things. I think we have to at least openly consider at what point we can bring our troops home -- at least begin to bring our troops home -- not only from the point of view of making sure that there is support from the American people for this continued effort, but also to consider whether the large presence of American troops here could contribute to or feed the insurgency, and whether in any way it makes it difficult for a government of national unity to be created.

Finally, all of us are here because we want to protect American tax dollars. We're very interested in knowing how the reconstruction money is being spent. There's been some excellent reports issued by the inspector general, and we want the opportunity to follow up on how we can feel and report back to the American people about how that reconstruction effort is going and how American tax dollars are being used.

SEN. THUNE: I'm Senator John Thune from the state of South Dakota , and I also serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee. I was here a little over a year ago, was anxious to get back, obviously to express our appreciation to the troops for the good work that they were doing here, to get their assessment of how things and what conditions are on the ground; secondly, to see where we are relative to the two I think major measures of when it will be the appropriate time for us to begin to draw down our troop levels here, and that is the ability of the Iraqis to govern themselves, and secondly the ability of the Iraqis to defend themselves. And obviously we came here to convey in no uncertain terms the importance to the Iraqi leaders of them proceeding with the unity government -- critically important at this point in time if this mission here is going to be successful that they are able to form a government that is inclusive and that will provide the Iraqi people with the confidence and the trust that they need.

Secondly of course is for them to be able to defend themselves, and that's something that has been a work in progress. We get progress reports on a regular basis at the Armed Services Committee about how we are doing on that particular issue. And it was encouraging this morning in our meeting with General Casey to hear about the number of operations, the percentage of the operations that are now being conducted by either Iraqi forces with them in the lead combined with U.S. forces in about 75 percent of those operations now in the number of battle areas, battle space that is now held by, secured by, protected by the Iraqi forces.

So those are the things that we want to accomplish here. One, again, to deliver a message loud and clear to the Iraqi leaders that this process needs to move forward. They've got to bring it to a timely conclusion, and that the patience I think of the American people, and I think frankly in a lot of respects to the Iraqi people as well, is wearing thin, and it's important that they move forward on that objective. And then, secondly, again, to get an assessment of how we are doing with respect to making sure that the Iraqi forces are in a position to defend the Iraqi people. And on that front I think we're making measurable progress.

But we very concerned, all of us are, and we voiced that to the Iraqi leadership today, about the sectarian violence that's occurring out there and how that erodes not only I think the confidence of the Iraqi people in this process, but certainly also the confidence of the American people and their commitment level to this effort.

So, again, I'm pleased to be here and to have the opportunity to thank you to our troops and to really I think deliver a strong message -- a message of encouragement, but also a message of -- I shouldn't say a warning, but a message that it's really important to the Iraqi leadership that this process move forward in a timely way.

GOV. RILEY: I'm Governor Bob Riley from the state of Alabama . First, let me tell all of you here that are serving in uniform today how much we appreciate it. Alabama sent 11,500 troops over. We've got another couple of groups that will be over this summer. We know what your sacrifices are. We know what it means to have to be away from home, be away from your loved ones. We know what it must mean to lose some of your friends.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are here today to see if we can determine where the benchmarks are. From everything that I've heard today, we are making progress. But progress comes slow. But any time we have to go through an operation like this with all of the different factors that you have to contend with, I think that is normal. Does that mean that we need to slack up? Absolutely not. And we need to continue to set benchmarks that the American people and the Iraqi people can use to see what progress is being made. That's the reason we're here today.

From our discussions so far today, I think we are making progress -- if we can develop that unity government, if we can do it quickly, if we give them the tools that they need to go out and form an effective government. Then I think all of the sacrifices you and the Iraqi people have made are going to be well worth it. Thank you.

GOV. PAWLENTY: Good afternoon, I'm Governor Tim Pawlenty from Minnesota . I want to thank Senator John McCain, the leader of this delegation. He's an outstanding leader for our country. He also brings a very seasoned and reasoned approach to these issues, a very important voice for the United States to the Iraqi people and to the Iraqi government, as well as to the United States of America .

Two main themes have been addressed. First with respect to the troops, we've come here to thank them and to express gratitude to them, but I think to a person we always leave inspired, because of their strength and their courage and dedication and diligence. They are amazing people. We, all of us, stand here to say thank yo to the troops who continue to do a fabulous job on behalf of our country.

Secondly, because of the mounting frustration in the United States , it's imperative that the next step be the formation of this unity government as soon as possible. All of us are echoing and reinforcing that message throughout all of the meetings that we are having today and throughout our time here. Thank you very much.

GOV. HUNTSMAN: Hi, my name is John Huntsman. I'm governor of Utah , the greatest state in America , as I like to tell my colleagues here. I too want to thank Senator McCain for his remarkable leadership on this particular issue, and for putting this diverse group together, representing both parties, representing divergent views, but also representing different geography in the United States and different positions.

I also want to thank members of the press for being here. And Senator McCain I thought made a very poignant comment earlier today when he thanked members of the press after a press conference for being there, and said how delighted he was to be with a free press. And I thought that was a very telling comment.

We're here simply to greet and to thank our units. We have many of our Guardsmen and women who are deployed in some cases for the third time, if you can imagine that, we're here to greet them and to thank them. Second, we're here as well to voice the concerns and opinions of representatives who are closest to the people in the United States . And I think it's helpful for the Iraqi leaders to hear from those of us they typically wouldn't hear from in terms of the evolving opinions in the United States -- and those opinions are evolving. Third, just to reiterate the importance of milestones and progress. Without progress there is a diminution in confidence with respect to what is happening here in Iraq . That needs to be bolstered. It can in fact be bolstered by a successful unity government, one that is competent, one that is representative, and one that does take into account the future interests of Iraq and the region. It's a pleasure to be here. Thank you all for showing up.

REP. UDALL: First of all, I'm Tom Udall from New Mexico , representing the Third Congressional District, and I very much appreciate Senator McCain having me along on this trip. I fall in the category with Senator Feingold as maybe sometime disagreeing, but I think these kinds of disagreements need to stop at our shores, and I'm here to focus on a couple of things.

First of all, I really appreciate the service of the troops. In my travels I'm always impressed with the men and women who serve or country, and in this case the men and women that I've seen on this trip have impressed me enormously, and I very much want to thank them for the job that they have done here. The message has been said several times by our speakers, but I think it bears repeating. The idea of a unity government, the idea that this government has to be there very, very quickly -- there is an urgency to this -- we've gone on for three months without a government. We need progress on a number of issues. Some of the things that we have been asking about involve what I would call measures of success in terms of Iraqi society, the ability to produce oil and to produce better than Saddam Hussein's days, the ability to keep the lights on and keep the electricity flowing. And without a unity government, I don't think we're going to make progress on those issues. So I also would like to echo the idea that the press is a very important institution, not only in our society but how you're operating here. And I want to thank you for being here and very much appreciate the coverage that you've given to this issue.

REP. SCHWARZ: Thank you. My name is Joe Schwarz. I'm from Michigan . Those of you who have dealt with Michiganders before, here's the map, I'm from down here -- somebody's laughing out there -- he has -- down near the Indiana and Ohio border, from Battle Creek , in fact. Many Michiganders have come to Iraq , both regulars, but we have had a huge number of Guardsmen and women and Reservists also.

I serve on the Armed Services Committee in the House, and I am critically interested in what we do about IEDs. We had a very special hearing for a small number of House members in Washington less than two weeks ago on this issue, and I spoke about that this morning with some of the military with whom we spoke and will take the message back. The IEDs won't go away, and it's incumbent upon the scientific community in the United States to put their heads together and figure out a solution or start to figure out a solution.

Secondly, in the real world I am a surgeon. And Prime Minister Ja'afari is also a musician. We shared some conversation this afternoon about how best to stand up a health care system in Iraq that can persevere and provide the services that the Iraqi people need. And I plan when I go back to continue working on that issue as well.

Thirdly, I want to thank all the men and women in uniform. I'm an ex-Navy guy, two tours of duty in Vietnam , and I want to tell you that I appreciate everything you do every day of the week. Thank you very much.

REP. KIRK: I'm Mark Kirk, Congressman from Illinois , one of the only serving Reservists in the Congress. I've come here especially to look at the working life and commitment of my fellow Reservists and also to say it's just a great honor to be part of McCain's Navy.

Q Hi, I'm Vanessa Arrington with the Associated Press. First question for Senator McCain, please, if you could tell us a little more about meetings that you've had today, particularly with political leaders, Talabani for instance, and how you feel after those meetings, if you're more or less about this government being formed? SEN. MCCAIN: Well, we met with the president and the vice president, members of the cabinet, the prime minister. We also had a meeting with General Casey. And so we have had pretty thorough and very informative meetings today.

And what was the second part of your question?

Q (Off mike) -- that you didn't know before in terms of what progress is being made or not made?

SEN. MCCAIN: I come away with the impression that the Iraqi leaders understand the sense of urgency that we conveyed to them. We all know that the polls show declining support amongst the American people. We feel that it would be important to have this government not only for American public opinion but for the Iraqi people to have a government that they can identify with and rely on, as all governments. So I am guardedly optimistic that this will happen "within weeks," unquote. I also -- all of us share the same view of our ambassador who does such a really important job, and he's optimistic, so I guess that we are guardedly optimistic as well.

Q My name is Lara Logan. I'm with CBS News. I'm just curious -- a lot of talk is being made about the pressure that is being put on the government to understand how important this is to the American people. Everyone talks about encouragement. Can you tell us -- can you give us why you believe -- what are the encouraging signs? I mean, certainly in terms of what's happening on the streets around the country we don't see any indication of this so-called willingness of Iraq 's leaders to make the compromises that are going to be necessary for a government of national unity. And have any of your discussions included this shadow security council that looks like it could be something of a shadow government?

SEN. MCCAIN: Our discussions did include the discussion of a national security council. It was made clear to us that it would function the way our National Security Council does, but also would have the additional benefit of ensuring that Sunni would have a input into the decision-making process as well. I think we'll have to wait and see how this takes shape in a concrete fashion. I think for a long time I think there's good news and bad news here. I think the good news here is that there's been a reduction in American casualties, an overall decline. That means there's been an increase in Iraqi casualties as you know. Pretty decent month of February, month of March -- the attacks are up. You know these things as well as I do, because you're here every day. Oil production is still down. That's a vital aspect of any economic recovery. Yet we see more and more Iraqi units going out to take on the insurgents, if not by themselves certainly with the U.S. troops as back-up. So it's very mixed. But overall we think that the vital element of training of the Iraqi military in making them capable to carry out these responsibilities is proceeding pretty well. The economic side isn't nearly as bright, obviously, and the government side of it, the third leg of this stool in my view, is still yet to be formed. And that's one reason why we feel that aspect of it is very urgent. I'm sure some of my other colleagues --

Yeah? And I'll have one of my colleagues answer it.

Q With all the talk about progress in the Iraqi security forces, I mean, did you raise the issue of the fact that some of these security forces are accused of operating as death squads and that militias are supposed to have infiltrated most of the security forces and are really controlling the streets?

SEN. MCCAIN: We did. We raised it.

Q (Off mike)?

SEN. MCCAIN: You know, I think that everybody recognizes that that's a very severe problem, but I don't -- we didn't get any real frank discussion of it. Our ambassador is obviously very well aware of it, as is our military leaders here, General Casey and others, and they recognize it's a major challenge, especially in the law enforcement much more so than in the military.

SEN. THUNE: (?) I actually posed that question, both of some of the Iraqi leaders as well as of our military leaders, and that's a real concern, because I think that most people see the progress that has been made with the insurgents, with the terrorists. But the concern now is some of the infiltration inside this Iraqi government and what that means at the local level when it comes to law enforcement, and we're relying in many cases on these folks to provide law and order to protect the Iraqi people. When you see these executions, it's a real concern, and I think that one of the answers of course that we received from our military leadership is the efforts that they are making to get down now to the local level in having our folks combine with the Iraqi security forces even at that police level. And from the Iraqis obviously is getting a Ministry of the Interior created and the right people in those positions to make sure that those safeguards are in place. And I think they're aware of it, they're focused on it. We heard that from the Iraqi president. We also heard that from the military leadership, and specifically my question was: What can we do? What can our military, U.S. military, do in that regard? And they are focused on it.

Q If you'll indulge me, I have two questions. The first is for Senator Feingold. You talked about force withdrawals, troop reductions, and the fact that perhaps bringing American troops home would lessen the intensity of the insurgency. Do you really believe that? And do you think what impact would that have on the potential for an all-out civil war?

SEN. FEINGOLD: Well, not only do I believe it, but it's been expressed in different ways, even by some of our generals -- not in terms of bringing home the troops, but in terms of saying publicly that it's a reality of the situation like this when you have a large troop presence that it has a tendency to feel the insurgency, because they can make the incorrect and unfair claim that somehow the United States is here to occupy this country, which of course is not true. But that's just a reality of how insurgencies of that succeed. So I think everyone agrees -- although many would disagree with my approach of the timeline that the sooner we can bring our troops home or out of here is going to make it harder for the insurgency to whip up an anti- American reason for continuing the insurgency. So that is my view, but I would choose to go into more details when I'm home on the subject.

Q But hasn't the problem to a certain extent shifted, or at least maybe expanded to not only an insurgency but also the potential of an all-out civil war? And troop reductions then -- couldn't that actually exacerbate the problem, when you would need Americans on the ground to keep the fighting parties --

SEN. FEINGOLD: There are legitimate arguments on both sides. I think it's very possible that the sectarian differences are inflamed by the fact that the United States is here appearing to some as a permanent guarantor, causing these different groups not to compromise, making them think that somehow they're secure in their positions and they don't have to come together. But I came here a year later to explore that, and I'm still in the process of thinking about that, but I tend to still feel that an undetermined sense that we will be here for a very long time -- 2009 or whatever it is -- may well be a destabilizing rather than a stabilizing influence.

Q Senator McCain, may I ask you one last question? You waded perhaps wittingly or unwittingly into a debate in your opening comments that's been raging in the United States in the last week, which is members of the administration have been saying that the media have been focusing too much on the negative and not enough on the positive. You opened up by thanking the media for what it does here. Do you agree with the administration claims that the media have been remiss?

SEN. MCCAIN: First I would mention Russ Feingold and I are very close friends. I believe that a premature withdrawal or a scheduled withdrawal not in consonance with the conditions on the ground would lead to our enemies just sitting back and waiting for us to leave, but that's a debate we will have on the floor of the Senate, and we will continue to have. I know one thing about the media. When I make up in the morning in Phoenix and turn on the local news, they don't show the traffic flowing smoothly on the freeway. They show the 10-car accident, because that's what people watch. I think that the media reports events as they see them, as accurately and as honestly as possible, period.

Q Ware, Time magazine. It just touches on something you just said, Senator McCain, but this is actually to all, I mean. In regards to time frames and a host of other issues given that the insurgent enemy in terms of its size and its capability remains exactly the same today as it was two years ago. They still have got as many fighters.

They're still hitting coalition troops more than 70 times every day; that al Qaeda in terms of its propaganda is bolder than ever; that Iranian influence is much greater and more consolidated than ever, as the ambassador has recently acknowledged. Do you think the American people are going to have the patience to stay this out, or are they just looking to hand off as quickly as possible to potentially less capable Iraqi forces?

SEN. MCCAIN: First of all, I do not question your statistics nor your knowledge and expertise, but I do spend a lot of time on this issue as well, and the statistics that I see is that slow but steady progress is being made. For example, a trained and capable battalions is significantly on the increase; attacks in many respects are down; there is a certain schism between the Zarqawi folks and the Sunnis -- the Sunnis did take part in the last election. I will certainly submit that I may be digging for the pony in some respects, because I think the consequences of failure are so profound that it's hard to contemplate and the benefits of success are so enormous. But I do believe that we can prevail.

I think there's some in America -- all of us would like to find an easy way out. I don't think there's any doubt about it. We grieve every day. There's not a person here that hasn't met a mother or a wife or a son or daughter of someone who has sacrificed. We go out to Walter Reed every quite frequently and meet with those brave Americans. So there's no doubt that this is an issue that's on all of our minds. But I think those of us who study history and focus on this issue believe that a premature departure or failure in Iraq leaves this part of the world in chaos -- not just Iraq, but all the surrounding countries as well. So --

And, finally, could I say when we lost in Vietnam , Ho Chi Minh's successors did not choose to follow us. They obviously wanted to build their own country. When you read Zarqawi and you read bin Laden and others, they're dedicated to our destruction, not just prevailing in Iraq . And I think deep down the American people have a good sense of what's at stake here. And one of the reasons why I say that is in the Vietnam war, very tragically, they turned against the men and women who were doing the fighting. I think the support of the men and women who are serving is every bit as high as the day this operation began. But I want to emphasize I do appreciate -- and so do all my friends here, no matter where you are on this issue -- recognize that it's wrong and it's hard and it's tough. And one of the big mistakes we made -- and we made many -- was to raise expectations on the part of the American people that somehow this would be an easy operation, when we should have known full well that combatting insurgencies and installing democracies in countries is probably the most difficult of all military tasks.

SEN. FEINGOLD: Can I just add one? We heard this this morning: in 15 of the 18 provinces there are fewer than six incidents per day of violence, and that includes all kinds of violence, and that much of the violence is concentrated in Baghdad, at Sadr City. And we also heard from the Iraqi leaders today that that's something that they're very focused on. By the end of this year they want to have Baghdad secure. And I think that will hopefully lessen the perception that's widely held not only -- it's obviously in the United States -- that some of these attacks are worsening all the time. But I guess my only answer to your comment is that the data we are hearing suggests that we are making some significant headway, and that the areas we have to focus on are fairly concentrated.

Q Hi, Nick Olivari, Reuters. I'm hearing that you're giving a message to the potential Iraqi government of what you'd like to see. Do you think the Iraqi government that may be formed wants the U.S. out now?

SEN. MCCAIN: No, I don't think so. I think that the Iraqi shadow government -- and we pretty well know who's going to be part of that government -- don't want us out. But they share our goal in wanting the Iraqi military to be trained ad equipped and capable as soon as possible. And they do realize, as we realize, that there are cases where American troops are not welcomed, because we're not Iraqis. But when you face them -- in other words, I think they want us out, but not now.

MR. : We want out. (Laughter.)

Q Jon Finer from the Washington Post. I guess Senator Feingold or Representative Udall, if either of you could field this: Your colleagues, some of your colleagues, have described a sense of steady progress that they noticed in dealing with the data and in their trip over here, and I'm wondering if that's the way you see things as well?

SEN. FEINGOLD: I see some indications of progress. I guess after the briefings I received last year about security, indications that things would be significantly better, it would be hard to say that that's the case, but there are some signs. There are also some disappointing signs. I somewhat agree with Senator McCain, that it's a mixed picture. I'm not ready to come to any final conclusions about that at this point. REP. UDALL: Let me just say also in response to that that I think it is a mixed bag. I think if it was dramatic in the direction of progress it would probably persuade me to change my mind in terms of positions I've already announced in the United States , and I'm not there by a long shot.

And let me just finally, let me just -- and I don't want to pretend to speak on behalf of all my colleagues here, but Senator McCain runs a pretty incredible codel. He's done this in a bipartisan way in every one of the meetings. He's a real star in terms of the -- we walk out to the media. But he lets us all participate. He's been about as evenhanded as anybody can be, and he's got a wonderful sense of humor. He's sometimes abusive to us, but I mean it's equal-handed also.

Q Can I just ask, Senator Feingold, you said part of the reason for your visit here was to look at where Iraq fits in in terms of al Qaeda -- if you could just fill us in on how you see that. And then also just generally on this point of the attacks being concentrated in one area, I'd like to ask all the governors here if they've had a minimum of two attacks a day in their state would they consider that an acceptable situation? And making the point that the fact that attacks are concentrated does not necessarily reflect on the strength of the insurgency, since the insurgency has always been concentrated in those three major provinces, and the fact that there is still in excess of, according to the military's own figure that General Lynch gave in this room the other day, more than 70 attacks per day, it's just -- it's hard to understand how anybody sees that as a measure of progress, and especially when you talk to the Iraqi people who are living with the threat of those attacks every day. It's even harder to understand how this is seen as progress.

SEN. FEINGOLD: Well, quickly on the first question: I remain puzzled, as I have been for years, of how so many references to this situation relate to 9/11, al Qaeda and al-Zarqawi. You know, we've had many meetings today where essentially there was no reference to that issue, as if it were not a major part of the problem. Now, maybe that's because we didn't bring it up. Maybe it's because it's less of a problem. But there seems to be a disconnect between the rhetoric in Washington about what this is all about and what we hear here. I may be missing something -- I want to be fair about it. I make most of the comments about it back home. But the American people were told that this related to 9/11 and al Qaeda. So that's why I'm still a little bit mystified.

Q I just wanted to ask can you comment on the ongoing discussions between the ambassador and the insurgents and the fragmenting the alliance between the al Qaeda elements here and the Sunni insurgency? To what extent is this being successful now?

SEN. MCCAIN: First, all of us, no matter where we stand on this conflict, have the greatest respect and affection for our ambassador. The job that he did in Afghanistan was extraordinary, as we all know. I think that the president would encourage conversations with anybody who wants to lay down their arms and to become part of the process. So we have a great deal of confidence and trust in our ambassador and how he would handle a situation which is obviously extremely sensitive. We have not been briefed on any of the details of any discussions that he might be having. We're having dinner with him tonight; perhaps he'll give us some more information.

I don't want to get into a back-and-forth with one of my best friends, Russ Feingold, and I understand your point as well. But I did try to point out that there are some areas where there is measurable progress such as training of the Iraqi military and some areas are much quieter. I fully understand your point about the three major provinces and how difficult this challenge is, but I think that we could provide you with some -- and you've seen some specific signs of progress. But, again, we all acknowledge, particularly after visiting you, that this is a very long, tough enterprise and challenge that we're facing, and I think the best way to treat it is to tell the American people exactly that. Thank you all for coming. Thank you all for coming.

END.



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