Wes Hickman (202) 224-5972 or Kevin Bishop (864) 250-1417

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement on Senate Majority Leaders Harry Reid's recent statement that Iraq 'is lost.' Graham is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. "If the war in Iraq is lost, then who won? Was it Al Qaeda? Iran? Sunni extremists? Shia extremists? "Do you believe allowing any of these groups to emerge victorious is in our long-term national interests? "I certainly do not believe allowing them to win is in our long-term interests. They all stand against the forces of moderation in Iraq and the entire Middle East. "As part of the War on Terror, Iraq is a test of wills - our will to succeed versus our enemy's will to drive us out. It's in our national interest to stand by peaceful Iraqis and against the extremists who not only want to destroy Iraq, but our own way of life." #####