If I could inject here, Senator Levin, now the chairman of the committee--I was then chairman--and I visited that province.

The importance of the United States Special Operations Command and the pivotal role our Special Operations Forces play in national defense cannot be overstated.

I have confidence in General Petraeus and his field commanders.

If confirmed, they will be installed during one of the most challenging times in our Nation's national security history.

MUOS will provide a 10-fold increase in capacity over UHF follow-on, providing UHF mobile communications for our tactical users.

The rebasing initiatives are on track. The scope of restationing 70,000 troops and their families from Europe and Korea, Joint Basing, growing the force, and the redeployment of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan is momentous.

I believe these risks are manageable, and that various measures--the provision of advisors and tracking of weapons--can be adopted to ensure compliance.

Withdrawing before there is a stable and legitimate Iraqi authority would turn Iraq into a failed state and a terrorist sanctuary.

I worry about a mandated timetable. I worry about mandating to any commander on the ground. Because it severely constrains an operational, or a tactical, commander.

I forego it, on behalf of Senator McCain and myself. I believe we're anxious to proceed to questions.

We ought not leave Iraq without the ability to sustain and defend itself, not just because of what it would mean to our allies, but what it would mean to us, in terms of a failed State in Iraq.