View From The Middle
This Time We're Getting The Straight Story - Ya Think?
By Charles Rogers

I love how this briefing or testimony that General David Patraeus, the top military leader in Iraq, and Ryan Crocker, our ambassador to Iraq, are giving Congress this week and the way it had been kept such a pseudo secret the days and weeks before they sat down opposite their inquisitors. At first, it was rather clandestine and only a few individuals knew the general's assessment of the war after he originated the 30,000 troop surge last winter.

"We'll let you know - in all truth - sometime in early or mid September whether the surge is working and whether we can start letting some troops go home," was his promise, along with his commander-in-chief, President Bush.

With the exception of reports from the media and perhaps a modicum of visits from political people here and there, all the information we got - at first - regarding the advancement of our troops or quieting of violence or the workings of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the head of the Iraqi "government," were biased or, at best, partisan assessments. Democrats who visited there said they hadn't seen anything much different happening than six months previously. Republicans, meanwhile, were saying they'd seen a "remarkable" change in the government and specifically the performance of Maliki and his cabinet and advisers.

If you remember, at the beginning of the summer of 2007, just as the surge was beginning to pick up steam, everyone here blasted Maliki and the Iraqi parliament for even thinking they would take a two-month vacation - right in the middle of a war! Then it was even more interesting to notice they only took one month after all. Of course, nobody here, no one of any consequence anyway, said anything then, because, well, our own congress was, um, taking a month-long vacation - right in the middle of a war!

Well, with the testimonials before the House and Senate Monday and Tuesday, this week has been comeuppance time, with Congress back from vacation and looking well-tanned and rested and ready to foist the inquisition on Crocker and Patraeus while they defend the philosophy that the surge of more troops was needed and in fact did some good.

Crocker is saying that, as a result of the added troops, things aren't as bad as they could be. Patraeus, on the other hand, is saying he, too, is not so unhappy about the way things have been going and maybe, just maybe, those 30,000 extra troops that were needed for the original surge could be coming home soon. Of course, that will mean the other 130,000 troops will still have to hang around - just in case. At this rate, it will be about ten years before there will be any normalization of activities in Iraq, such as trade and, well, living .

Back to the testimony itself: When President Bush went to Iraq during the Labor Day holiday, it's a sure thing he and Crocker and Patraeus got together in a tent and discussed what the testimony would be when the pair sits before Congress. And it's a sure thing they got the word on what they should or should not say. Now, while some (Democrats!) are saying they might have gotten the word on just what to say (After all, the meeting was with the boss; the CEO; the Big Man On Campus; the Big Cheese; the guy who signs the paycheck), they said whatever testimony was given was their own, "not the White House."

Both men are honest, sincere and men of integrity. Naive as it may seem, it is truly believable of these men. After their meeting in Baghdad, and when they returned to this country last weekend, they were told they should not consult with the president or Secretary of Defense Robert Gates or other officials so that they might "preserve their independence and integrity," according to a report from the Associated Press.

Once again, these are men of sincerity and, yes, integrity. It would do no good to bend the truth either way and they know it. Besides, they know the buck doesn't stop with them. What good would it do to foist it onto the commander-in-chief?

Mr. Bush is supposed to speak to the American people tonight and tell us just about what we already know, thanks to leakers and pundits and blog machine axe-grinders. It behooves him to shoot straight and let Congress and us know where we stand with the same integrity - and truth - as Patraeus and Crocker.

We all know he'll say we should "stay the course." This time when he says it, it might have some authority and clout behind it.

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