During their recent congressional testimony, Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker refused to be pinned down on the goals, mission or even the meaning of success for U.S. forces in Iraq. But when Crocker talked about the proposed “Status of Forces Agreement,” he was clear. He promised that Congress would be “fully informed,” but, he said, there would be no “treaty” submitted for the Senate’s advice and consent. Crocker went unchallenged.
The details of the proposed agreement are apparently still pending. But last November Gen. Douglas Lute, the White House “czar” for Iraq, discussed the administration’s intention to reach an agreement that would protect Iraq against internal and external threats, defend the Iraqi constitution, deter foreign aggression, and support efforts to combat all terrorist groups. Lute stated that Iraqi national leaders wanted a long-term relationship with Washington as “a reliable, enduring partner.”
(This column by UW-Madison emeritus professor of history Stanley Kutler first appeared in the Washington Independent.)