Administration Shaving Yardstick for Iraq Gains--Goals Unmet; Smaller Strides to Be Promoted

[uppityperson]

Source: Washington Post

The Iraqi government is unlikely to meet any of the political and security goals or timelines President Bush set for it in January when he announced a major shift in U.S. policy, according to senior administration officials closely involved in the matter. As they prepare an interim report due next week, officials are marshaling alternative evidence of progress to persuade Congress to continue supporting the war.

In a preview of the assessment it must deliver to Congress in September, the administration will report that Sunni tribal leaders in Anbar province are turning against the group al-Qaeda in Iraq in growing numbers; that sectarian killings were down in June; and that Iraqi political leaders managed last month to agree on a unified response to the bombing of a major religious shrine, officials said.

Those achievements are markedly different from the benchmarks Bush set when he announced his decision to send tens of thousands of additional troops to Iraq. More troops, Bush said, would enable the Iraqis to proceed with provincial elections this year and pass a raft of power-sharing legislation. In addition, he said, the government of President Nouri al-Maliki planned to "take responsibility for security in all of Iraq's provinces by November."

Congress expanded on Bush's benchmarks, writing 18 goals into law as part of the war-funding measure it passed in the spring. In addition to the elections, legislation and security measures Bush outlined in January, Congress added demands that the Iraqi government complete a revision of its constitution and pass a law on de-Baathification and additional laws on militia disarmament, regional boundaries and other issues.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/07/AR2007070701274.html?hpid%3Dtopnews&sub=AR

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If you aren't registered there, article is also at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003779566_iraqpolicy08.html under the headline "Bleak assessment: Not one of goals set for Iraq to be met". I think the WaPo article is a longer, this one seems cut.