Ambassador: U.S. 'Buying Time at a Cost of the Lives of Our Soldiers'

July 19, 2007 — -- It was always going to be a tough day for the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, who testified today via teleconference before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Crocker's job was to convince members of Congress that the United States is making progress in Iraq and that the surge of troops into the war-torn nation is working.

In his testimony, Crocker acknowledged that while political progress has been made in Iraq, the overarching sense of fear indicates that the nation still has a long way to go.

"If there is one word I would use to sum up the atmosphere in Iraq — on the streets, in the countryside, in the neighborhoods and at the national level — that word would be fear," Crocker said.

The committee is a melting pot of bipartisan frustration with the U.S. Iraq policy. Democrats John Kerry, Russ Feingold and Barbara Boxer protect the left flank. But more importantly, Republicans Dick Lugar, Chuck Hagel and George Voinovich are all critical of the surge in words, if not their votes.

A majority of U.S. senators supported a proposal Wednesday to withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq by April, but Republicans blocked an up or down vote by insisting on a procedural motion that requires 60 votes.

Ohio's Voinovich, a recent GOP defector from the administration's Iraq strategy, became animated as he addressed Crocker, stating that the United States has a limited amount of time in Iraq.

"Its urgent," Voinovich said with a raised voice. "Time is running out."

Questioning what Crocker was doing to persuade the Iraqi government to improve, Voinovich repeatedly asked: "What are you doing? What are you doing?"

"That is a point we have made to the Iraqi leadership," Crocker responded, adding, "We are buying time at a cost of the lives of our soldiers. I don't think the prime minister fails to understand this."

One of four Republicans to support a failed Democratic measure to withdraw combat troops from Iraq, Nebraska's Hagel said the United States shouldn't be buying time.