Petraeus today: "[S]ignificant but uneven security progress...innumerable challenges remain...progress made since last spring is fragile and reversible...most parties acknowledging that the rational way ahead is through political dialogue rather than street fighting."

Oh, and after the inevitable drawdown of the surge ends this summer, we'll wait and see how things go before taking any more troops out.

More: "I've repeatedly noted that we haven't turned any corners, we haven't seen any lights at the end of the tunnel. The champagne bottle has been pushed to the back of the refrigerator."

Crocker's statement.

Lots more here, with links to yet more.

Tangentially related: Why are people quoting  Rich Lowry as some kind of authority on what's happening in Iraq?

It seems kind of cruel to Lowry, because it causes other people to remember that he said Rumsfeld was large and in charge three years ago.

Comments

[Spag]

Yeah, I don't get that. Everybody knows that Paul Krugman and Josh Marshall are far better authorities.

Hell, so are Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi for that matter.

So Ed, are you a fan of Kilcullen/Petraeus or not?

[Ed Cone]

I admire Kilcullen and Petraeus. Their updated methodology for dealing with insurgencies seems smart, and effective -- certainly more effective than what it replaced. Petraeus also has proved to be capable in the field, and politically astute.

I don't know that they qualify as authorities, but certainly Krugman and Marshall have superior track records in assessing the situation in Iraq than does Lowry. Which is of course damning them with faint praise.