WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, having recently returned from a trip to Iraq and Afghanistan, expressed renewed disappointment with the conditions she witnessed.

"The situation in Iraq is catastrophic. Let's make no mistake about that," Pelosi told reporters on Capitol Hill. "The question is how many more lives will we have to lose? How much longer will we have to stay there in order to prove the point that this plan is not working?"

Pelosi also reiterated her opposition to sending additional troops to the country, saying she saw "no evidence of any political and diplomatic initiative worthy of the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform."

But Pelosi brushed aside suggestions her criticism of the war was hurting the troops' moral, saying, "it's the policy we disagree with. We don't disagree with the troops."

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