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Excerpts from Coleman's telephone conference
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Excerpts from Sen. Norm Coleman's telephone conference with Minnesota reporters about Iraq on Tuesday:
"It's not just a matter of 'getting out of Dodge.' We have a stake in the security of the region. But we do not have to give a blank check to the Maliki government...
"A decision is going to have to be made by Petraeus about the security of American forces, about not losing the ground that we've paid so much for in blood and sacrifice....
"I'd like greater clarity on when it happens. But what I think Petraeus was clear about was that we're looking at the Iraqi army being in a place where they can take a primary role and are able to defend against enemies internal and external ..."
"The reality is Petraeus has changed the military situation. There is a political dynamic that is going on now that has made progress, but a lot more needs to be done. We simply need to keep pressure on that...
"It's a question of how quickly can we move into a secondary position and get our folks out of the cross hairs. I'd like to see that as quickly as possible, still leaving it to Petraeus, who's on the ground."
"It is about security. But it's also fair to say that what you have in Iraq right now is a country that's going through the pains and the struggles of dealing with democracy. ...
"Our goal is a narrow goal, and that is to have Iraq in a position where it can take care of its own security. On the other hand, there's no question that goal is occurring at a time when it is about political movements and Iraqi democracy. Maybe not American style, but ours is pretty unique."
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