Petraeus urges gradual drawdown of troops

Iraqi officials urged patience and warned against a hasty U.S. withdrawal.

"We don't say that life is rosy. There are problems, and we need to fix them," said government spokesman Ali Dabbagh, speaking on Al Hurra television.

For all the progress reported on the security front, political progress was, as expected, deemed far more halting.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) suggested that despite security improvements, the troop buildup had not achieved its larger goals. "We should temper enthusiasm by remembering: This is Iraq, and nothing has been easy there," Skelton said.

When the buildup was announced this year, administration and military leaders said its purpose was to improve security so that political progress could take place.

Goals outlined by the administration were codified by Congress into 18 political and military benchmarks.

In July, the White House reported that fewer than half of the benchmarks showed satisfactory progress. The Government Accountability Office said this month that the Iraqi government had met only three benchmarks.

"Mr. Ambassador," Skelton asked, "why should we in Congress expect the next six months to be any different than it has been in the past?"

Crocker replied that Iraqi legislators had proved themselves capable of debating the issues seriously.

But he said that he too was frustrated.

"I frankly do not expect that we are going to see rapid progress through these benchmarks," Crocker said.

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julian.barnes@latimes.com

Times staff writers Tina Susman and Ned Parker in Baghdad contributed to this report.

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Army Gen. David H. Petraeus

Born: Nov. 7, 1952.

Career: Commanding general of the multinational force in Iraq since February; commanding general at the Combined Arms Center and Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., supervising much of the Army's education system and developing the military's war-fighting doctrine, including the new counterinsurgency manual, 2005-2007; two tours in Iraq, first as commander of the 101st Airborne and then as the general overseeing the training of Iraq forces, 2003-2005; a top military official in Bosnia, including on a counter-terrorism task force, 2001-2002.

Education: Bachelor's degree, U.S. Military Academy, 1974; 1985 master's degree and 1987 doctorate in international relations from Princeton University.

Family: Wife, Holly; two children.

Source: Times research

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U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker

Born: June 19, 1949.

Career: U.S. ambassador to Iraq since March; U.S. ambassadorships to Pakistan (2004-2007), Syria (1998-2001), Kuwait (1994-1997), Lebanon (1990-1993); National War College international affairs advisor, 2003-2004; first Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority director of governance, 2003; reopened U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan, 2002; deputy assistant secretary of State for Near East Affairs (focus on Iraq), 2001-2003; posted to U.S. Embassy in Beirut during Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and bombings of embassy and Marine barracks in 1983; joined Foreign Service in 1971.

Education: Bachelor's degree in English from Whitman College in Washington, 1971.

Family: Wife, Christine Barnes, ex-Foreign Service secretary.

Source: Times research