In my exchanges with Secretary Gates, I pointed out that the seeds of many of the problems that continue to plague us in Iraq, both in terms of troops and mission, were planted in the failure to adequately plan for the conflict and then…

I would ask each of you if you will commit to keeping this committee and Congress informed, in classified sessions, if necessary, about the process of contingency planning for any future redeployment.

I have said that I would never cut money for our troops when they are in harm's way, but I sure would threaten to cut money for the Iraqi troops and for the security for the Iraqi leadership.

It has nothing to do with the loyalty, the warrior skills, and the leadership of our men and women in uniform. It has everything to do with the years of lost opportunities and the failures of the Iraqis to step up and take responsibility…

I disapprove of the policy. I think it is a dead end. It continues the blank check.

We are short thousands of vehicles, armor kits, and other equipment.

There's no military solution in Iraq, and there's no military solution in Afghanistan.

I think the potential to have tensions continue to ease ought to give us some opportunities to perhaps have the Paks do even more than they're doing.

Current levels of suffering experienced by the Iraqi population should motivate the political leaders to make progress.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thanks to you, General Casey, for your years of service, and thanks also to your family because they have served along with you, and we are grateful to all of you.

Could you report back to the committee what your find about the level of cooperation with this report, please?

I hope we can hear that it has been fixed, because some of these stories coming out of the fighting on Haifa Street...

I am very concerned that we are pursuing a policy that, regardless of what one thinks about it or how one evaluates its chances for success, certainly raises the fears that so many of our young men and women are going to be put into very…

Engaging Iran is a policy decision. President Bush and Secretary of State Rice have offered to hold talks with Iran's leaders on Iraq, regional security, and nuclear issues, after they suspend uranium enrichment.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask that the committee request a copy of the IG's report that was referred to in the Business Week story and that it be made available to the committee as soon as possible.

I believe that because of these disturbing reports about equipment shortages we should as we begin to debate the Warner-Levin proposal include provisions that require that adequate equipment and training be mandated so that we do not send…

Are you at this point able to assert with a 100-percent level of confidence to this committee that every soldier being deployed to Iraq as part of this escalation will have all the necessary personal equipment?

Admiral Fallon, how will you tailor the best practices of counterinsurgency to quell the continued sectarian blood letting?