Questions from candidates make party differences on war obvious

McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Presidential rivals John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton used Tuesday’s Senate hearings on the Iraq war to preview the starkly different ways that a Republican or Democratic successor to President Bush might manage the conflict.

The differences were obvious as each got about six minutes to quiz Army Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. military commander in Iraq, and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker on the war’s progress.

McCain, R-Ariz., the armed service committee’s top Republican, attempted to distance himself from the Bush administration while saying that the war remains a noble cause.

Clinton, D-N.Y., a junior member of the same panel, opened her questioning by justifying her desire to withdraw troops, while Obama, a foreign relations panel member, added his support for a pullout but also asked pointed questions about the roles of Iraq and al-Qaida.

They left little doubt where they stood.

Obama, D-Ill., branded the war a “massive strategic blunder” and called al-Qaida and Iran’s increasing influence in the region “a direct result” of the U.S. involvement in Iraq.

“We’re not going to eliminate all influence of Iran in Iraq,” Obama said. “Define what’s a legitimate or fair set of circumstances ... that would make us feel comfortable in drawing down our troops.”

Crocker didn’t give a direct answer, saying that though the U.S. has “no problem” with a good Iran-Iraq relationship, it’s concerned about the influence of Iran-backed extremists.

Suppose, asked Obama, if Iraq could have its current status quo without U.S. troops. After all, the Illinois senator said, “our resources are finite. ... We have to define our goals tightly and modestly.”

Crocker offered a somber answer. “I can’t imagine,” he said, “the current status quo being sustainable with that kind of precipitous drawdown.”

Obama countered that he wasn’t suggesting that all troops be withdrawn right away, but “I’m trying to get to an endpoint.”

Crocker suggested that won’t be easy. “This is hard and this is complicated,” he said.

Clinton chafed at testimony that the administration doesn’t intend to seek congressional approval before working out an agreement with the Iraqi government to continue operations after July.

She also pressed Petraeus to say what conditions would have to exist for him to tell the president to end the war. “The conditions are unclear,” she said.