NEWS: Bush Gets A Big “F” on Surge Report

It's pretty clear that if that's your measurement standard a majority of the benchmarks would be determined not to have been met. A lot of them are multipart and so, even if 90 percent of it is done, it's still a failure. The standard the GAO has set is far more stringent. Some might argue it's impossible to meet.

Benchmarks met:

* Establishing supporting political, media, economic, and services committees in support of the Baghdad security plan.
* Establishing all of the planned joint security stations in neighborhoods across Baghdad.
* Ensuring that the rights of minority political parties in the Iraqi legislature are protected.

Benchmarks partially met:

* Enacting and implementing legislation on procedures to form semi-autonomous regions.
* Providing three trained and ready Iraqi brigades to support Baghdad operations.
* Ensuring that, according to President Bush, Prime Minister Maliki said ‘‘the Baghdad security plan will not provide a safe haven for any outlaws, regardless of [their] sectarian or political affiliation.’’
* Allocating and spending $10 billion in Iraqi revenues for reconstruction projects, including delivery of essential services, on an equitable basis.

Benchmarks not met:

* Forming a Constitutional Review Committee and then completing the constitutional review.
* Enacting and implementing legislation on de-Ba'athification.
* Enacting and implementing legislation to ensure the equitable distribution of hydrocarbon resources of the people of Iraq without regard to the sect or ethnicity of recipients, and enacting and implementing legislation to ensure that the energy resources of Iraq benefit Sunni Arabs, Shia Arabs, Kurds, and other Iraqi citizens in an equitable manner.
* Enacting and implementing legislation establishing an Independent High Electoral Commission, provincial elections law, provincial council authorities, and a date for provincial elections.
* Enacting and implementing legislation addressing amnesty.
* Enacting and implementing legislation establishing a strong militia disarmament program to ensure that such security forces are accountable only to the central government and loyal to the Constitution of Iraq.
* Providing Iraqi commanders with all authorities to execute this plan and to make tactical and operational decisions, in consultation with U.S. commanders, without political intervention, to include the authority to pursue all extremists, including Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias.
* Ensuring that the Iraqi security forces are providing even-handed enforcement of the law.
* Reducing the level of sectarian violence in Iraq and eliminating militia control of local security.
* Increasing the number of Iraqi security forcesÂ’ units capable of operating independently.
* Ensuring that IraqÂ’s political authorities are not undermining or making false accusations against members of the Iraqi security forces.

The study was slightly more upbeat than initially planned. After receiving substantial resistance from the White House, the GAO determined that four benchmarks — instead of two — had been partially met.

KingHELL said:
Wait, we're not doing well in Iraq? Since when?!

Zarth said:

It's okay. The media is only reporting the bad stuff, and none of the good stuff. We're just about to turn the corner. And it's a good thing we're fighting the terrorists there, too, otherwise we'd be fighting them here.

Zarth said:

It's okay. The media is only reporting the bad stuff, and none of the good stuff. We're just about to turn the corner. And it's a good thing we're fighting the terrorists there, too, otherwise we'd be fighting them here.

meatpieboy said:

I heard we built a hospital.

SirPsychoSexy said:
Or in Afghanistan. But everything must be fine there because we don't care about them any more, Right?

It was previously thought that the General would write the report, but last month it was revealed that the White House would do the writing and Patraeus would read it to Congress.

Zarth said:

It's okay. The media is only reporting the bad stuff, and none of the good stuff. We're just about to turn the corner. And it's a good thing we're fighting the terrorists there, too, otherwise we'd be fighting them here.

graphicsman77 said:
Umm, where did you read ANYWHERE in that article that Patraeus is going to read a report re-written by the administration? I read the article and didn't see that at all.

Despite Bush's repeated statements that the report will reflect evaluations by Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, administration officials said it would actually be written by the White House, with inputs from officials throughout the government.

aaronthere said:
we ARE fighting terrorists at home, they are called Democrats.

aaronthere said:

we ARE fighting terrorists at home, they are called Democrats.

Rafi said:

Why didn't you just cut to the chase and write, "I'm too lazy and/or inept to actually address any part of the article content at hand of how massively the Bush administration's plans in Iraq have failed?"

Rafi said:
Why didn't you just cut to the chase and write, "I'm too lazy and/or inept to actually address any part of the article content at hand of how massively the Bush administration's plans in Iraq have failed?"

SirPsychoSexy said:

Or in Afghanistan. But everything must be fine there because we don't care about them any more. Right?

graphicsman77 said:

Umm, where did you read ANYWHERE in that article that Patraeus is going to read a report re-written by the administration? I read the article and didn't see that at all.

Here's the latest I've read about the coming report.

Time to Head to Congress

Despite Bush's repeated statements that the report will reflect evaluations by Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, administration officials said it would actually be written by the White House, with inputs from officials throughout the government.

Heathen_Dave said:

I think he should have cut to the chase and written, "I'm going to make a joke on a topic." Cry about it.

KUNGFOO said:

He's referring to this admission by the administration:

It's not that the report is going to be re-written by the Administration, it's just going to be, quite plainly, written by the Administration with input from Petraeus, among other sources.

Rafi said:
Maybe if the joke had actually been about something remotely related TO the topic. . .

Zarth said:

Ahem.

Rafi said:

Why didn't you just cut to the chase and write, "I'm too lazy and/or inept to actually address any part of the article content at hand of how massively the Bush administration's plans in Iraq have failed?"

RileyStClair said:
wow, what a fair and balanced news source you cited there, buddy!

graphicsman77 said:
I'm not going to dignify the GAO's report with anything more than a reminder that the report gave no credit for progress being made. Goals were either 100% met, or were deamed to have been FAILED. Based on that type of measuring stick, how many of us would have managed to graduate? There would be no B, C, or D grades. Only A's or E's (or F's depending on your school system).