View from Iraq looks different

Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2007 | 7:24 a.m.

WASHINGTON - Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley voted against President Bush's troop surge at the start of this year, citing the apparent absence of an endgame for the Iraq war.

Now, on her first visit to Iraq, she sees another view.

"This has been an eye-opening experience, there's no doubt about that," Berkley said Monday from the well-fortified Green Zone in Baghdad.

She had just spent Christmas Eve with Army Gen. David Petraeus, the top American military commander in Iraq, and American Ambassador Ryan Crocker, part of a three-day tour of the country.

"I think the two of them have done an extraordinary job - 2007 is ending far better than it began," Berkley said by phone. "If you recall, a year ago Iraq was in flames and we had lost Al Anbar province. I can say pretty assuredly, between Ambassador Crocker and Gen. Petraeus, they have turned a corner in a number of areas - militarily."

Berkley is among an increasing number of Democratic lawmakers willing to acknowledge that the troop surge they had once criticized is, in fact, stabilizing Iraq militarily. The lawmakers visit Iraq, see the progress in areas that were once hopelessly lost and find hope for a future when American troops can come home.

Shielded by 40 pounds of protective gear, Berkley walked the streets of Ramadi on Monday, where amid the ruins of a war-torn urban core, she said, she saw signs of new businesses.

But whether the window of opportunity the surge has created will enable the Iraq government to take control of the country remains to be seen.

Berkley used some of her time with the American leaders to argue her belief that the surge of troops cannot be sustained because of the strain it is putting on the military, and that the Iraqi government needs to stand on its own. She said she "was impressed with the candor" the American leaders showed.

"They have no illusions about what lies ahead," she said. "The weakness in Iraq is political ... While they realize the success, they have acknowledged they have a long way to go.

"They don't need Shelley Berkley to tell them, it can't take decades," she added.

Berkley said she was surprised by the high morale among the troops.

She remains critical of the war, however. She voted last week to send Bush $70 billion more in war funds, saying she didn't want to make a political statement on the backs of the troops.

Now, she said, she will withhold her judgment on the next step until Petraeus makes his report to Congress in March.

Berkley planned to spend Christmas Day having lunch with troops from Nevada.

Her delegation is next headed to Turkey to speak with its president about battles with Kurdish rebels.