General Petraeus said that a resolution passed by Congress disapproving of the mission that he's about to embark on, in his opinion, would be detrimental to morale.

The point I am trying to make is it is clear to me that we have never had the force levels to be claiming we have been fighting a counterinsurgency.

From the Iranian point of view, do you consider, based on what you know now, that the Iranian involvement in Iraq is counterproductive to developing a democracy in Iraq?

If he said he needed more, you would support him?

I agree, we're not seeking a military victory in Iraq, we're trying to turn around the situation, in terms of security.

I think these issues are being discussed in the political realm, and I'd prefer to keep them there.

So if there is a bloodbath in Baghdad, are we going to sit on the sidelines and watch it happen? Is that in our national interest?

IEDs, that is the biggest threat to our troops. 70 percent of our casualties are from IEDs, is that correct?

If you think it is Vietnam, if you really believe we are in Vietnam, you should cut off funding.

If the person down the street who was caught putting an IED in the ground to kill Iraqi troops and American troops, if they went to jail for 30 years or got executed that might deter IEDs.

One of the biggest nightmares of the dictatorship in Syria and the theocracy in Iran is to have a functioning democracy in Iraq. It threatens their regimes.

You are going back for the third time or the fourth time? Third time?

So if you could improve the economy and have jobs available to people other than being in the IED business, hopefully that over time would help.

I think there is really no telling what could happen if Iraq fails.

Can you have a functioning democracy where the capital itself is not secure?

No matter how well-intentioned, a resolution being opposed to this new strategy is a vote of no confidence in you.

Is it fair to say that one of the reasons that we have the highest rate of reenlistment among those who have served in Iraq is that they believe it is part of the global struggle, the war on terror?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.