Free Republic

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2007 – Roughly 95 of 140 battalions that make up Iraq’s army, national police and special operations forces are capable of leading operations, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq told the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees today. Petraeus joined U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker during the first of two days of hearings on the status of the war and political developments in Iraq. “There's a very substantial number of Iraqi battalions, especially Iraqi army battalions, that are very much in the fight,” the general said. “Indeed, in many...