Petraeus And Crocker Assert Their Independence On Fox

America’s two top officials in Iraq – Army Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker – appeared on Fox News Monday night, dismissing claims they had manipulated their latest assessments of the war in Iraq at the behest of the White House.

“It was my assessment,” Petraeus said. “Those [findings] were mine. They were not the White House’s, or anyone else’s.”

Crocker offered a similar assertion of independence, saying he did not clear his testimony with anyone and the president did not attempt to manipulate his findings.

Earlier, a full page ad in The New York Times by the liberal group, MoveOn.org, accused Petraeus of manipulating intelligence to help sell President Bush’s troop surge strategy in Iraq. The ad ignited a political firestorm on Capitol Hill, with House Republicans introducing a resolution condemning it.