Report: Iraq Has Not Met Benchmarks

Draft Report To Congress To Conclude Iraq Has Not Met Targets For Political And Economic Reform

(CBS/AP)  A draft report to Congress on the war will conclude that the U.S.-backed government in Iraq has met none of its targets for political, economic and other reform, speeding up the Bush administration's reckoning on what to do next, a U.S. official said Monday.

One likely result of the report will be a vastly accelerated debate among President Bush's top aides on withdrawing troops and scaling back the U.S. presence in Iraq.

A senior Pentagon official tells CBS News chief White House correspondent Jim Axelrod a debate is already underway to determine what conditions must exist, short of victory, to begin pulling troops out of Iraq.

The "pivot point" for addressing the matter will no longer be Sept. 15, as initially envisioned, when a full report on Bush's so-called "surge" plan is due, but instead will come this week when the interim mid-July assessment is released, the official said.

A draft version of the report, expected to be presented to Congress on Thursday or Friday, circulated among various government agencies in Washington on Monday.

"The facts are not in question," the official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity. "The real question is how the White House proceeds with a post-surge strategy in light of the report."

The official said it is highly unlikely that Bush will withhold or suspend some aid to the Iraqis based on the report, as he can do under the law.

As the White House prepared its first major progress report for Congress, war-weary Republicans are focusing their efforts on protecting unrelated anti-terrorism programs while Democrats are trying again to pass legislation ordering troop withdrawals.

Simmering in the background is a growing sentiment among at least some Republicans that the U.S. strategy is failing and Bush should adopt a new policy before they must face their constituents during the August recess.

Clearly political support is weakening inside the administration, adds Axelrod. A senior administration official who has been to Iraq many times tells CBS News the Iraqis have made the surge "a joke," adding that they lack the ability, the firepower and the discipline to take over anything.

The Senate began debate Monday on legislation that would authorize $649 billion in defense programs. By week's end, senators are expected to vote on an amendment by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., that would order troop withdrawals to begin in four months, with the goal of completing the pullout by spring 2008.

[toldyouso21]

Picture this: in a black and white hued commercialthe scene is a darkened room, the only thing in a spot light are many pairs of hands each shaking their fists, then out roll the dice and they snap their fingers....a running countdown clock is shown in the background. shake em up...throw em down.....looks like just any other *** shoot, then the picture turns to color and the dice being thrown are miniature American coffins, now the voice over and the verb--While Bush and the Republican Congress play politics with American lives, our people are dying--Gives a whole new meaning to rolling "bones" doesn't it. Stop the madness--vote Democrat in 2008.

in a bill board just those hands (male and female) with red dragon lady nail polish and cuffs or little elephant cufflinks---rolling coffin dice--same blurb--Stop the madness---vote Democrat in 2008.

[j-whitman]

Lars008,,,,
-- Feast on these words from the Pope, The Big Kahuna of Christians:
-- "Protestant and other Christian denominations are not true churches but merely ecclesial communities and therefore did not have the %u201Cmeans of salvation.%u201D

[lars008-2009]

"When they came to arrest the Jews, I did not say any thing. I am not a Jew.
When they came to arrest the communists, I did not say anything. I am not a communist.
When they came to arrest the socialists, I did not say anything. I am not a socialist.
When they came to arrest the homosexuals, gypsies, mentally retarded, etc. I did not say anything, I am none of the above.
When they came to arrest me, there was no one to speak for me."

when they came for
http://www.qubetv.tv/videos/detail/3

is youtube pro terrorislam???
http://www.vidilife.com/video_play_856841_Michelle_Malkin_Video_Banned_on_Youtube.htm

[lars008-2009]

it is fascist nazi terrorislam stupid%u2026.

non muslims of the world unite... fight against the tyranny of the fascist nazi terrorslam imperialist empire of the darkside...

Our Prophet commanded us to fight the kaafirs when we are able and to attack them in their homelands and to give them three choices before we enter their lands: either they become Muslim and be like us, sharing our rights and duties; or they pay the jizyah (poll tax) and feel themselves subdued; or they fight, in which case their wealth, women, children and homes become permissible as booty for the Muslims.
http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=13759&ln=eng&txt=before%20islam%20arabia%20pagan

[j-whitman]

Lars008,,,,, You asked "Who's targeting the children ??" ---- The Pentagon Is

Recruiters are looking in the schools & accosting them on thier way home -----
- Our Pentagon blames the Parents for not meating thier recruitment goals again this month.... They need to blame Bush & his failures.

[lars008-2009]

it is the tyranny of fascist nazi terrorislam stupid...

LOOK WHO IS TARGETING CIVILIANS

Bless the Beasts and Children
Fascist nazi terrorslam kills every man woman and child in the village again%u2026 typical MO for fascist nazi terrorslam%u2026
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/bless-the-beasts-and-children.htm

Hizbullah Deputy Sec-Gen Sheikh Naim Qassem: We Have Jurisprudent Permission to Carry Out 'Martyrdom' Operations, Fire Missiles on Israeli Civilians From Ayatollah Khomeini
http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD154907

Switching Sides: Inside The Enemy Camp

But then in 2000, well before his arrest, something happened which would make Abas question everything he believed in: a fatwa, a religious edict, was issued by Osama bin Laden.

"It should be understood that killing Americans and Jews anywhere found are the highest act of worship and the highest form of good deeds in the eyes of Allah," Simon quotes bin Laden.

Abas and his fellow commanders were ordered to read the fatwa to their men and make sure they carried it out. The others obeyed, but Abas refused. It was his moment of truth. He firmly believed that jihad was to be fought only on the battlefield in defense of Islam; he had always been taught that the killing of civilians had nothing to do with holy war and that it was forbidden.

The fatwa justified killing non-Muslim civilians everywhere.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/04/60minutes/main2761108.shtml

[j-whitman]

Oh, I see now,,,, Bush is changing his public message on Iraq ------ The only message America believes coming from his mouth is,,, "Hello, my name is George & I'm an Alcholic"

[randalds]

Posted by RandalDS at 03:16 AM : Jul 10, 2007

Democrats control both the house and senate.

Pelosi and Reid do not need a single vote, all they have to do is refuse to allow legislation to come to the floor.

Posted by tuckerndfw at 03:25 AM : Jul 10, 2007

Right, grind the government to a halt and the American people will turn on the democrats in a heartbeat and you know it. That is not an option because it simply will not work. Bush will still refuse to pull the troops out even if it means they just throwing stones instead of bullets at the insurgents (not terrorists, because there's dam*n few of them there). The ONLY way to stop a fanatic like Bush is to impeach him. NOTHING else will work. I still say you're hoping the democrats are ignorant enough to try it, just so you can cheer when it fails, as it will. Either that or you're just not living in the real world.

[twylacrat]

If the Iraqis knew how to band together and run a government they would have overthrown Saddam a long time ago? They didn't know how then and they don't know how now. Gee, maybe we should have thought about that before we "LIBERATED" them.

[lars008-2009]

has there ever been an terrorislamic mullah cleric that was a suicide bomber???

[j-whitman]

Lars008,,,, Teddy Roosevelt enlisted & fought for his country ------ The military just lowered it's standards once more,,,, You can ELIST also

[lars008-2009]

The pacifist is as surely a traitor to his country and to humanity as is the most brutal warmonger. Theodore Roosevelt

In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing. Theodore Roosevelt

I would rather go out of politics feeling that I had done what was right than stay in with the approval of all men, knowing in my heart that I had acted as I ought not to. - Speech to the New York Assembly 1884 Theodore Roosevelt

[j-whitman]

Bush has Failed to meet Benchmarks at Home as well --- Failed to meet 9/11 Commission requirements --------- America is Not Safer

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Democrats-Terrorism.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[j-whitman]

What's the Plan Bush ???

Just how do you recover from a War started by lies, a War that was a Major Strategic Failure from the start ??

How do you recover the 3,605 lives lost for your Failures, bad leadership & incompetencies ???

[j-whitman]

Sad, very sad indeed -
- Now senior republicans are yelling "Surrender" -- Bush still can't flush a win from this quagmire in any aspects ------ What do you expect from a Major Strategic Blunder fron the beginning ????? --- This is his so-called "Center of the War on Terror" ?????
--- 3,605 Americans KIA for no gain at all ---

[j-whitman]

Lars008,,,,, Funny post --- You demand liberals remain silent & do nothing

All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing.

That is exactly how Hitler took over Germany & Bush became President of the United States
--------- GOOD MEN DID NOTHING -----------

[j-whitman]

White House Urges Patience On Iraq -- LOL --- "Wait till we are out of office" is what they really mean.

[lars008-2009]

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace--but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! March 23, 1775 Patrick Henry

USA's PLEDGE 2 THE WORLD GIVEN BY JFK!!

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty."
--John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, Jan. 20, 1961 "

"Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." --John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, Jan. 20, 1961 "

One ought never to turn one's back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. Winston Churchill

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." Albert Einstein

Edmund Burke: All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing.

[j-whitman]

Iraq hasn't come close to meeting benchmarks, half of thier military won't fight thier own people, reconstruction has failed.... And our military cannot hold the ground they take ---- FUBAR

[j-whitman]

Bush has miserably Failed our Nation & Military