WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday he is disappointed with political progress in Iraq but sees the troop surge as effective.
"Well, there's no question that it's disappointing that the Sunnis have, have left the government," Gates, back from a tour of the region, said on NBC's "Meet The Press."
He said the administration perhaps had, "underestimated the depth of misunderstanding and mistrust" among divided religious and ethnic factions.
Gates also said "there is a possibility" for the United States to begin redeployment depending on next month's progress report by Gen. David Petraeus, senior U.S. military commander in Iraq.
He said military goals of the troop surge had been successful but acknowledged that winning in Iraq would not be determined by a military victory. Gates had urged the Iraqi Parliament to remain in session this summer to seek political progress and reconciliation.
"But what we're trying to do is get an honest an evaluation of this situation as we possibly can so that the president and the Congress can decide how to move forward," Gates said.
