Lieberman Goes After Reid On 'Iraq War Is Lost' Comment

(The Politico)  Sen. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.) took after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for Reid's statement on Wednesday that the "Iraq War is lost."

Lieberman, who has been a strong proponent of the U.S. campaign in Iraq, had this to say today:

“This week witnessed horrific terrorist attacks by Islamist extremists in Iraq, killing hundreds of innocent civilians and leading Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to declare that the war is ‘lost.’

With all due respect, I strongly disagree. Senator Reid's statement is not based on military facts on the ground in Iraq and does not advance our cause there.

Al Qaeda’s strategy for victory in Iraq is clear. They are trying to murder as many innocent civilians as possible in an effort to reignite sectarian fighting and drive us to retreat from Iraq.

The question now before us is whether we respond to these terrorist attacks by running away as Al Qaeda hopes – abandoning the future of Iraq, the Middle East, and ultimately our own security to the very same people responsible for this week’s atrocities – or whether we stand united to fight them.

This is exactly the wrong time to conclude that we have lost the war in Iraq, or that our new strategy has failed. Instead, we should provide General Petraeus and his troops with the time and the resources to succeed.  We should not surrender in the face of barbarism."