WASHINGTON — Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said today that the U.S. troop buildup in Iraq has failed because it hasn't achieved its primary goal of sparking political reconciliation among that country's rival sectarian groups.
His pessimism was shared by senior Republican John Warner, who said the war is still not going as well as hoped. The two senators spoke at a hearing on the Pentagon's $588.3 billion budget request for the 2009 budget year, which begins Oct. 1.
Testifying were Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
Gates said today that the top military commander in Iraq is not the sole adviser on the war and suggested that President Bush this year will be confronted with competing views on what to do next.
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