The Iraqi government achieved "satisfactory" progress on 15 of 18 political benchmarks, almost twice the number it had reached just a year ago, according to a White House report.
In a May 2008 report to Congress obtained by the Associated Press, the Bush administration wrote that Baghdad politicians reached several new agreements seen as critical to easing sectarian tensions.
Iraqi politicians passed legislation that granted amnesty to some prisoners and allowed former members of Saddam Hussein's political party to recover lost jobs or pensions. They also determined that provincial elections would be held by Oct. 1.
Only two of the benchmarks — enacting and implementing laws to disarm militias and distribute oil revenues — remained "unsatisfactory."
The benchmarks, reluctantly accepted by the Iraqi government in 2007, are unofficially attached to the continued US military aid to the country.
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Thanks for posting this! My more liberal friends definitely need to be confronted with this information.
ReplyDeleteThe Whitehouse from which we have received so much honesty and openness, NOT! is simply saying we are "making satisfactory progress" towards the benchmarks.
ReplyDeleteThe actual GAO report, if you care to read it, is much more critical of where we are.
The benchmarks which were to have been in place by now are still not complete and are very much still dependent upon the continued occupation of Iraq by American troops. God help us all to believe anything that comes out of the Bush-Cheney Junta.
Bwaahaha! You're going to believe the *Whitehouse*?!?! Independent studies show the surge has only met 3 of the 18. Of course, the people who brought you "Mission Accomplished" will tell you everything's great. The truth is that the current administration simply can not be trusted to be honest with the American people. Whether it's the wars, climate change studies, bribes to journalists, association with criminals like Abramanoff, or even something as simple as whether they read a Presidential Daily Briefing, they lie and lie and lie. Anyone who votes "values" votes against the Republicans, because the Republicans have no values.
ReplyDeleteThe surge was supposed to allow our troops to come home over a year ago. Now GWBush's little buddy John McCain wants us in there for another 100 years. If we can't bring our troops home, the surge wasn't successful. It's as simple as that. If anyone tells you otherwise, *they're lying to you*!