Petraeus and Crocker to testify publicly on Iraq

The White House made clear today that the top U.S. military and diplomatic officials in Iraq will testify publicly before Congress next month, easing a brewing spat between the White House and the Democratic-controlled Congress over the possibility of closed-door-only sessions.

The administration is required by law to deliver a full report to Congress on President Bush’s troop surge by Sept. 15, a move that is expected to escalate the next round of congressional debate over ending the war.

“General [David] Petraeus and Ambassador [Ryan] Crocker will testify to the Congress in both open as well as closed sessions prior to the Sept. 15 report,” said Gordon Johndroe, the spokesman for the National Security Council.

“They will report to Congress, and more importantly, they will report to the American people on what they see on the ground there,” Johndroe told reporters in Crawford, Texas, where the president is vacationing.

Johndroe denied reports that the White House was considering having the top U.S. military commander in Iraq and the U.S. ambassador there give only closed-door briefings, accusing Democrats of “trying to start a fight where there really isn't one.”

The much-anticipated report will contain assessments of the situation on the ground in Iraq from Petraeus and Crocker, as well as Admiral William J. Fallon, commander of U.S. Central Command, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

Though Johndroe put to rest any speculation that the two men would not testify publicly, the incident still did not sit well with some Democrats on Capitol Hill.

“The fact that the White House was even entertaining the idea of keeping the Petraeus and Crocker testimony secret is unacceptable,” said Rodell Mollineau, a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). “We will continue to put pressure on this administration to be frank and honest about the reality in the ground in Iraq.”