During testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today, Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker laid out the political and infrastructual problems plaguing Iraq but warned that pulling out from that country could leave a vacuum for al-Qaeda to fill.

"I remain convinced that a major departure from our current engagement would bring failure, and we have to be clear with ourselves about what failure would mean," Crocker testified. "Osama bin Ladin has called Iraq 'the perfect base,' and it reminds us that a fundamental aim of al-Qaeda is to establish itself in the Arab world. It almost succeeded in Iraq; we cannot allow it a second chance."

Crocker discussed relations between Iraq and neighboring Turkey, where PKK terrorists have sparked tension. He also desribed relations with Syria as "ambivalent," though that country harbors people who shelter and finance Iraq insurgents.

"Mr. Chairman, almost everything about Iraq is difficult," Crocker said. "It will continue to be difficult as Iraqis struggle with the damage and trauma inflicted by 35 years of totalitarian Ba'athist rule."

Update: You can read Crocker's testimony before the Senate Armed Services from this morning, which is nearly identical to this afternoon's testimony here: Download file

— Carrie Sheffield, Web editor, The Washington Times