Listened to General Petraeus on NPR today. I was impressed by his opening statement. Apparently, he has the support of his soldiers; the 3rd Infantry Division, our original and, I believe, surge deployed troops in Baghdad had met their yearly reenlistment target already, cf. Instapundit. The counterinsurgency has worked very well. Baghdad and environs are much more secure. Ted Kennedy had a list of complaints which started with the idea that we alone were the security force in Iraq. The General pointed out that recently there have been 3 times as many Iraqi KIA in the Army and additionally 3 times as many in the Sons of Iraq local forces. So Petraeus was like Lot in the Torah looking for 5 liberal Senators who would honestly accept that people allied with us for the betterment of their communities and country and a humanistic liberty. Iraqi money is taking over the redevelopment efforts. Senator McCain modestly asked some questions about Al Quieda in Iraq and their retreat to Mosul, the ancient capital, and closed with saying he would like to discuss more about the Iranian efforts to destabilize the country 'but his time had expired.' Senator Webb who rudely had refused to discuss how his son was doing as a Marine in Iraq when he met the president after the induction of the new Senators, said that 'combat was the most apolitical environment he had ever been in' but from his son's experience the Anbar awakening was taking place before the surge, and he, the Senator, was concerned about the strain on the forces.