Clinton: No Military Victory in Iraq

July 19, 2007 — -- In South Africa battling the AIDS crisis, former President Bill Clinton weighed in on the battle that's consumed the Senate this week: whether President Bush should pull U.S. troops out of Iraq.

All night Tuesday, Senate Democrats tried to convince Republicans to pass an amendment calling for withdrawal from Iraq. Meanwhile, over the past two days, several U.S. generals on the ground in Iraq, including Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Peter Pace, have said they see signs of progress. Pace said he's seen "a sea change" in parts of Iraq. But Clinton doesn't believe a U.S. military victory can be had.

"The point is that there is no military victory here," he said exclusively to "Good Morning America." "I believe that Gen. Petraeus is a very able man. And I don't have any doubt that they'll win some battles. And I hope this works. I think every American hopes this works. But it can't work beyond winning a few battles. … It has to be accompanied by progress on the political front."

Clinton said Bush can buy time for his Iraq strategy through the summer, but that will change when officials re-evaluate the situation in September.

"The president has weathered the challenge in the Senate because of the filibuster. As long as he can hold more than 40 senators, he can stop the Senate from voting for a change in course," Clinton said. "But in the end, September will come and it won't be long."

While the former president is working with his foundation, his wife, Sen, Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., is hitting the campaign trail hard. The former president rebuked Elizabeth Edwards' recent suggestion that Hillary Clinton wouldn't be as good an advocate for women as Edwards' husband, presidential candidate John Edwards.

"I defy you to find anybody who has run for office in recent history who's got a longer history of working for women, for families and children, than Hillary does," he said. "I don't think it's inconsistent with being a woman that you can also be knowledgeable on military and security affairs, and be strong when the occasion demands it. I don't consider that being manly -- I consider that being a leader."