From PRI, Public Radio International and KCRW Santa Monica, this is To the Point.

Patraeus and Crocker, back on Capitol Hill.

Hello again, I'm Arminowalny, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International,

a daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

As a protester chanted, bring them home, General David Petraeus refused to set any timetable

for withdrawing troops from Iraq. Democrats said his strategy ended up to a plan which has no

end to it, while Republicans showed varying degrees of support. Ambassador Ryan Crocker insisted there has been progress

in reconstructing Iraq and reconciling sectarian factions

that led to partisan disagreement too.

On to the point, we'll hear what John McCain and Hillary Clinton had to say

on the recommendations President Bush will be getting from his command team.

We'll hear differing views on the rhetoric and the realities.

First, here's the news.

Support for To the Point comes from subscribers of KCRW Santa Monica and from the Public Radio

International Program Fund, whose contributors include the Ford Foundation and the John D.

and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Hello again, Warren Alney, back with To the Point. General David Petraeus today told a Senate

committee he wants 45 days after the surge ends and the troops have gone home in July.

And after that, still more time to determine when more troops can come home.

As Michigan Democrat Carl Levin pressed for a timetable, there was disruption in the hearing room. Do you have any estimate at all as to how long that second period is going to take? Are you giving us any ideas to how long that will take? You say over time. Could that be a month? Could that be two months? Sir, it could be less than that. It could be more than that.

It could be more than that.

Again, it's when the conditions are met that we can make a recommendation for further reductions.

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