John McCain

I think every member of this committee--and I know every one of them well, on that side of the aisle, on this side of the aisle, having had the privilege of occupying that chair for some 6 years--we are not a division here today of…

But we did so in response to the President's comments to the Nation on the 10th of this month, and I read from his transcript:

If you can help us measure how we are moving toward victory, if you can give us objective criteria...

Victory is achieved when the populace consents to the government's legitimacy and stops actively and passively supporting the insurgency.

Are we at that number, that 1 to 50 ratio? Are we there? Will we be there with the surge?

I see nothing coming from this administration that it is willing to pursue such a policy now.

I have been quite gratified to hear all the positive references to Bosnia in this hearing.

I very sincerely but wholeheartedly disagree with those who are trying to once again up the rhetoric about our position in Iraq.

You are being asked to square the circle, to find a military solution to a political crisis.

What I, speaking for myself, am attempting to do is to send a very clear message to the Iraqi government.

If Iraqi leaders had more fully integrated the Sunni minority into the government, if they had passed an oil distribution law that distributed the revenues more equitably, if they had amended the constitution, if they had held provincial…

I think we have arrived at a point where in fact we do need to help them a bit more in providing security.

I do believe at this point that our presence can help and is needed.

I worry that the strategy that we are about to pursue in this country relieves pressure on the Iraqis to do what must be done.

Will all five brigades be massed simultaneously or is there some other plan to have all five brigades move more slowly into Baghdad?

Yet your numbers, by any estimate or formula that you use, you are receiving are either inadequate or bare minimum. Does that concern you?

Are you confident that they will be?

I know of no successful military operation where you have dual command.

You were a young officer following our defeat in the Vietnam War. Would you contemplate the effects of defeat in Iraq as compared with an additional, very difficult strain on our men and women in the military who are having to serve more…

Do you understand the command and control relationships between the American and Iraqi forces in this new plan? I am very concerned about unity of command.

We need to get that sorted out, General.

I do not think that the responsible members of that government right now certainly want us to withdraw.

Based on your knowledge of the Army and its state of readiness, how long do you believe the increased troop levels and tempo of operations can be sustained?

Suppose that we send you additional troops and we tell those troops that, we support you, but we are convinced that you cannot accomplish your mission and we do not support the mission we are sending you on. What effect does that have on…

Eventually there is every likelihood of a scenario of chaos?