Iraq Briefing Brings More Confusion

Wednesday's much-hyped briefing for lawmakers by Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, began and ended in much the same way as any discussion of Iraq does on Capitol Hill these days: in confusion.

Just hours before the House voted on a $124 billion Iraq funding bill that includes a March 31, 2008, "goal" for pulling most U.S. troops out of Iraq, Republicans left the classified briefing encouraged by what Petraeus and Joint Chiefs Chairman Peter Pace, Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte had to say.

Many Democrats, though, remained unmoved by what they heard, demonstrating that they continue to have little or no faith in President Bush and his top military and civilian advisers, or in their plans for operations in Iraq.

"They are all talking off the same script, which is a White House script," said Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), who has strongly backed the March 2008 withdrawal date. Bush has promised to veto any Iraq bill with a withdrawal timeline or restrictions on his conduct of the war.

And, while saying he "deeply appreciated" the briefing, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) later pledged that the House would pass the spending bill with the timetables.

"Our troops are mired in a civil war," Hoyer said. "The American people want and deserve a Congress that holds the Iraqis accountable."