Joe Wilson: “Congress will soon hear from members of our military as well as civilian advisers about progress in Iraq. Yesterday, the…”

“Congress will soon hear from members of our military as well as civilian advisers about progress in Iraq. Yesterday, the General Accounting Office released its report. This one report tells only a partial account. We should base decision-making on complete information from our military leaders. The GAO report does not assess progress being made on the ground, progress our military commanders have indicated is occurring. The benchmarks outlined in the report are laudable goals, assessed by dedicated officials. Developing democracy to protect American families takes time, as we learned in Germany and Japan. It took America 13 years to adopt our Constitution. Next week, we will receive a report from our top commander in the field, GEN David Petraeus, and our top diplomat, Ambassador Ryan Crocker. We should remain open and receptive to what these professionals have to say. We must protect American families by making difficult but informed decisions. In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th.”