Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey until recently led the U.S. military’s training effort in Iraq. Here’s what he had on his mind on Tuesday when he appeared before the House Armed Services Committee:

Dempsey depicted the level of violence tolerated by Iraqis as “mind-numbing” and acknowledged that a dearth of security has made some Iraqis nostalgic for the rule of Saddam Hussein, who was ousted by the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. “You’ll hear people say, ‘You know, we were a lot more secure and safe during the Saddam regime,’ ” he told the oversight panel of the House Armed Services Committee.

Funny how the Joe Liebermans and John McCains of this world regard this as a sure sign of progress.