Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/former-national-security-advisors-clash-on-iraq-policy Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript Brent Scowcroft warned against an impulsive withdrawal of troops in Iraq, while Zbigniew Brzezinski called the war a "calamity" and urged for a change in policy. NewsHour reports on the testimonies of two former national security advisors before a Senate committee. Read the Full Transcript Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. KWAME HOLMAN: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee heard separately today from Brent Scowcroft and Zbigniew Brzezinski. Scowcroft, who served under President Ford and the first President Bush, said American troops in Iraq should concentrate on supporting the Iraqi army.BRENT SCOWCROFT, Former Adviser to President George H.W. Bush: With respect to the surge, I consider it a tactic rather than a strategic move. If it is successful in stabilizing Baghdad, that could begin to change the climate and bring a new self-confidence to Iraqi forces, which could be important.But it will not end the problem; as I say, it is a tactic rather than a strategy. Our troops should concentrate on training the Iraqi army, providing support and backup to that army, combating insurgents, attenuating outside intervention, and assisting in major infrastructure protection.That does not mean that the American presence should be reduced. That should follow success in our efforts, not the calendar or the performance of others.As I said at the outset, there are no easy answers to the problems we face. As we move ahead, we will not find impatience, a quick fix, or seeking partisan advantage a friend to the U.S. national interest over the long run. It is going to be hard to make a bad situation better; it will be easy to make it worse.