The Debate On Iraqi "Progress" Goes On

While President Bush Defends His War Stance, The Problems In Iraq Are Mounting

(CBS)  The Battle for Iraq, and the war of words over that battle here at home, pushed most other stories out of the news this past week.

The Bush administration released an interim report on the war assessing progress on 18 so-called benchmarks, ranging from disarming Iraqi militias to allocating funds for reconstruction. It found that of those eighteen benchmarks, satisfactory progress was made on only eight.

At a Thursday White House press conference, President Bush vowed to stick to his Iraq war strategy.

"When we start drawing down our forces in Iraq it will be because our military commanders say the conditions on the ground are right, not because pollsters say it will be good politics," he told reporters.

Still, the president acknowledged growing public frustration.

"People are — there's war fatigue in America," Mr. Bush said. "It's affecting our psychology."

Iraqi troops on the hunt for intelligence about al Qaeda in Iraq looks good on the surface, but the harsh reality is that the partnership isn't up to standards. The ability of Iraqi forces to take over security was one of the key "benchmarks" of the Interim Report that got an unsatisfactory grade.

While the report is only a snapshot of what progress has been made towards meeting what is in effect the price demanded by Congress for the so-called "surge" of 30,000 extra troops, its importance has been heightened by the emphasis President Bush placed on the hunt for al Qaeda.

"So we're working to defeat al Qaeda and other extremists," he said.

In total, the president mentioned the movement more than 20 times in his appearance in the White House press room.

"It would mean surrendering the future of Iraq to al Qaeda," Mr. Bush said.

The soldiers on the ground in Iraq see rooting out al Qaeda as their main task, according to Colonel Stephen Townsend, whose men are conducting an operation dubbed Arrowhead Ripper in Diyala province.

"Al Qaeda has declared Baqouba as the capital of the Islamic state of Iraq, and this is their shadow government for their insurgency, and I don't think we should let that stand," Col. Stephen Townsend, Commander 3rd Stryker Brigade, told CBS News correspondent Allen Pizzey.

It's no easy task. The insurgents are so entrenched and organized that they even have a sophisticated public relations machine. A video of an attack using a roadside bomb or IED on an Iraqi patrol was put out by the grandly named Al-Furqan Foundation for Media Production of the Islamic State of Iraq.

One of their offices was recently raided by U.S. forces. Its capabilities were geared to take on the official American spokesman Brigadier-General Kevin Bergner.

"It produced CDs, DVDs, posters, pamphlets and web-related propaganda products and contained documents clearly identifying al Qaeda in Iraq's intent to use media as a weapon," he said.

The organization and efficiency is in stark contrast to Iraq's parliament, which missed the benchmark set for it, and is taking the month of August off anyway. That comes as no surprise to Rick Barton, co-director of the Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project.

"We pretty well know that their government is dysfunctional, and it's not likely to be functional, so to put benchmarks that expect them to perform better than the United States Congress is unrealistic," Barton said.

In fact the government barely functions at all except to look after narrow, sectarian interests.

A boycott by a Sunni bloc and some Shia members has stalled any chance of passing a law on sharing oil revenues among the three main ethnic groups, a piece of legislation that is considered essential to the country's political and economic well-being.

The same applies to a law on de-Baathification which would allow former members of the party of Saddam's rule to get back to their old jobs, a reversal of the original American policy here.

An unsatisfactory grade for the politicians comes as no surprise to ordinary Iraqis whose benchmarks are basic and the failure to meet them obvious in every aspect of their lives.

River fish, a cheap and traditional source of protein, are no longer on menus because the most popular (a type of carp known as masgouf) have been deemed unsafe because they eat the bodies that are thrown into the Tigris river after executions by death squads.

That doesn't stop kids jumping in for relief from the 110 degrees-plus heat, but then they have no other way to cool off. Just as security failures have a domino effect, so does lack of other amenities. The supply of electricity in Baghdad is below pre-war levels. Buying a block of ice and chopping it up is the only means many families have to preserve food or provide a cold drink for kids.

The problem is that the water it is made from is almost certainly polluted. Sewage can't be treated or pumped, so it ends up in fetid pools and seeps into what is left of the water system.

Maybe that's just one of the reasons Iraqi politicians never travel anywhere without heavy security, both local and Western, and are mortified at the idea that the benchmark for the pullout of American troops might come too soon for their liking.

[laird666]

This article repeats misleading White House "spin" on two critical issues that should be corrected.

First, the America people don't have "war fatigue". The American people are opposed to Bush's invasion and occupation of Iraq because it is a distraction from combatting terrorist. Our troops should have remained in Afghanistan and caught Osama Bin Laden, but instead were pulled out to pursue NeoCon dreams of American domination of the Middle East.

Second, when Bush claims that "When we start drawing down our forces in Iraq it will be because our military commanders say the conditions on the ground are right, not because pollsters say it will be good politics," you need to provide the context that the military commanders all opposed the "surge", as did the Iraqui Study Group and the vast majority of the american people, but the white house wanted to be able to shift the blame for their failure onto the next administration, so White House replaced them with new commanders that would support their political strategy, leading to the deaths of hundreds more of our soldiers for Bush's poltical advantage.

You have a responsibility as a news organization not only to accurately repeat what the white house claims, but to report the truth of the situation. Please do your jobs!

[rstein6]

After reading and listening to President Bush
I am getting "bush fatigue" from the lies, and
corruption that is being diseminating from this
adminstration. First the main focus should have
been Afganistan, where the main stronghold of Al
Qaeda existed before the invasion of Iraq as well
as other terrorist cells which were "scattered
and fragmented in other parts of the world." Instead Bush threw "gasoline on the fire" and they spread to Iraq. Bush had the audacity to say that there was a connection between 9/11 and Iraq?. What's interesting is the Osamba bin Laden's brother or family are entrenched in the oil business...No wonder we can't find him. We cannot afford to bring him to justice for fear of retibution toward our demise.

[bluegeorgia]

You forgot the part about Bush admitting in his speech that someone in his administration leaked Valerie Plame's name, and his opinion that we should just "move on". After all, treason is such a trivial thing, isn't it?

[mh4cbs1]

Impeach and Jail Cheney and Bush!

Impeachment is the medicine our sick government needs. They LIED us into this needless horrific WAR. Saddam told the truth about WMDs and let the inspectors in. BUSH LIED and INVADED. Caused the death of thousands, wasted $500 BILLION, secret prisons, torture, cities in ruins... Hard to tell the "evil ones" apart isn't it.

We spend $600 BILLION each year on WAR -- more than all other nations combined, even though the cold war is long over. Meanwhile world population swells to 6 BILLION and our planet is on a global warming path that could well be catastrophic.

Our government serves the corporations. Corporations write the laws and own the politicians. Go see the film SICKO. Your "representatives" retire to take million dollar lobbyist jobs. Cheney as secretary of defense started a "privatization" of the military left to be CEO of Haliburton, became VP and invaded Iraq. Haliburton's stock has soared.

We need a green, sustainable economy. We need economic and social justice (your tax rate is HIGHER than Billionaire Warren Buffet - as he honestly pointed out). Bush and gave massive tax cuts for the already filthy rich - while our jobs are outsourced. The spineless Democrats are complicit!

Enough is Enough. IMPEACH Cheney and Bush, the War-Crazed, Oil-Gluttons, the mrderous thugs who LIED our nation into needless WAR. Then Vote Green Party or Vote Independent toss out the corporate owned politicians!

[cdfoxtrot]

Glad to see CBS has a sense of humor, referring to "Progress" in commas. It's almost worth the last six years, to now see the moron-in-chief look as chastised as he does. Now that he's such a lame duck president, I think the world can breathe a sigh of relief, and (almost) not have to worry about him creating another "Iraq" somewhere else. This disastrous presidency will be over soon enough.

[cdfoxtrot]

I HOPE THAT AL QAEDA ATTACK THE UNITED STATES SOON WITH A NUCLEAR WEAPON..
Posted by V_1618 at 11:48 AM : Jul 15, 2007

You can hope all you want, but Al Qaeda is completely over-rated and a mere excuse by the military industrial complex and it's WH supporters to spend billions more on military sh*t. None of which would be effective, anyway, against guerrilla tactics of extremists. Given how ridiculous was the planning and execution of the Glasgow airport "attack" last week, I don't see we have to worry about a nuclear armed Al Qaeda anytime soon.

[waynabq]

You forgot the part about Bush admitting in his speech that someone in his administration leaked Valerie Plame's name, and his opinion that we should just "move on". After all, treason is such a trivial thing, isn't it?
Posted by bluegeorgia at 01:27 PM : Jul 15, 2007

Bush supporters have got to be the most mentally perverse, ignorant, group of morons in the history of mankind. These chimp worshipping idiots are still upset about Clinton's lie about a BJ six years after fact.

Yet, they give a pass to Chimp and Cheney's treason and lies that have caused the death and maiming of 25,000 American troops and destroyed the lives of 2.1 million Iraqis at a cost of 500 billion and our international reputation.

Chimp worshippers are going to crown the Chimp king. They seem to like to keep their heads buried way,way up the Chimp's an*l ***. That's the reality they would rather live in. It stinks but its safe, dark and warm in there.

[drummer94]

My 'ol lady's friend's husband got killed in Iraq on Friday. Now, it's personal.

[name_verify]

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DNC News Update 2008

Gore's concert to benefit transgender fish mutated by pollution in SF Bay called success by mainstream media.

Jesse Jackson's unity of the oppressed speech about black on black violence in Pelosi's hometown of San Francisco draws crowd of angry queers.

Barak says he's just as much a feminist as Hillary is a negro.

Hillary says Bill can't invalidate her feelings.

Edwards says his poverty tour isn't irrelevant just misunderstoond.

Claiming the US has been in Afghanistan longer than Iraq, and the Afganistan government more incompetent than the Iraq government, the Democrat Party impliments policy to surrender to Al Queda around the globe.

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[fonso_2006]

You guys all make the argument that "Bush and Cheney lied to us and Congress to go to war" but everyone knows that is not true. You want them impeached because you hate that Conservatives stand by their principles and Liberals just play politics. Bush and Cheney did not lie, they went on information that was not correct and even Congress (including Democrats) voted to go into this war. Congress was not lied to and neither were we. Congress had the chance to read the report before they voted for authorization of this war and many chose not too. You can't blame the President and VP because Senators and Congressmen and women chose not to read it. If you don't agree with the war then fine, you can protest and do anything you want (that's what's great about America) but don't lie about things to try to prove your point.

[wiredwilly]

Why do I feel like I'm on the Titanic with the Captain steaming full speed ahead, oblivious to the fact that the ship just hit an iceburg ?

[prinzowhales]

fonso_2006--As a conservative, I want Bush, Cheney and Company impeached, tried and hung-- and I am willing to compromise on the order in which this is achieved.

It is because Bush has no principles that we loathe him. It is because he is a liar that we despise him. The Niger Yellow Cake case was manufactured out of whole cloth--this was known at the time it was used in his speech.

The leads given to Scott Ritter's team by the US were wrong, 100% of the time...sources that wrong, can't be relied on...you can't justify your case for war on this...and, he wanted war, his PNAC and AEI people, his Israel-firsters all wanted war before Bush became president.

The 'case' for war was manufactured so that simple souls could come out and say...'the President was mislead.'

If it were simply a case of being mislead, then the Administration would not have been so vindictive against those who gave them the truth. The Administration lied to Congress and Congress needed those lies as much as the President did, to justify the unjustifiable.