White House may prevent general from testifying publicly on Iraq

If the White House gets its way, the Bush Administration's Sept. 15 progress report on Iraq may be delivered by the U.S. secretaries of state and defense -- and not by top US Iraq General David Petraeus and US Iraq Ambassador Ryan Crocker in a widely anticipated public congressional briefing.

According to the Washington Post, White House officials suggested to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee last week that Petraeus and Crocker would brief lawmakers in a private, closed session before the report's release.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates would then be the only members of the Administration to provide public testimony. Raw Story