Here's the President's interim report on the benchmarks for success required by Congress in the bill which funded the surge of troops in Iraq passed by the Congress on May 24th.
Less than two months later, President Bush reports that Iraq has made satisfactory progress in 8 of the 18 benchmarks with unsatisfactory progress on 8 and 2 indeterminate. Not bad in such a short period of time.
And the best news is that benchmarks for progress on security in Iraq and training the Iraqis to take over the job were mostly met. Political progress, which depends first on meeting security benchmarks, is the lagging indicator of victory.
Benchmarks for Iraqi Government:
(i) Forming a Constitutional Review Committee and then completing the constitutional review
Assessment: Satisfactory progress.
(ii) Enacting and implementing legislation on de-Ba’athification reform.
Assessment: Unsatisfactory progress.
(iii) Enacting and implementing legislation to ensure the equitable distribution of hydrocarbon resources to the people of Iraq.
Assessment: Unsatisfactory progress.
(iv) Enacting and implementing legislation on procedures to form semi-autonomous regions.
Assessment: Satisfactory progress.
(v) Enacting and implementing legislation establishing an Independent High Electoral Commission, provincial elections law, provincial council authorities, and a date for provincial elections.
Assessment: There are multiple components to this benchmark, each deserving its own assessment:
- Establishing the IHEC Commission: Satisfactory progress toward establishing an IHEC Commission. The Commission has been established.
- Elections Law: The Government of Iraq has not made satisfactory progress toward establishing a provincial elections law. Drafting of the law has just begun.
- Provincial Council Authorities: Unsatisfactory progress.
- Provincial Elections Date: Unsatisfactory progress.
vi) Enacting and implementing legislation addressing amnesty.
Assessment: The prerequisites are not present
(vii) 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.
Assessment: The prerequisites are not present.
(viii) Establishing supporting political, media, economic, and services committees in support of the Baghdad Security Plan.
Assessment: Satisfactory progress.
(ix) Providing three trained and ready Iraqi brigades to support Baghdad operations.
Assessment: Satisfactory progress.Three brigades are operating in support of Baghdad operations.
(x) 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.
Assessment: Unsatisfactory progress.
(xi) Ensuring that Iraqi Security Forces are providing even-handed enforcement of the law.
Assessment: Unsatisfactory progress.
(xii) Ensuring that, as Prime Minister Maliki was quoted by President Bush as saying, “the Baghdad Security Plan will not provide a safe haven for any outlaws, regardless of [their] sectarian or political affiliation.”
Assessment: Satisfactory progress.
(xiii) Reducing the level of sectarian violence in Iraq and eliminating militia control of local security.
Assessment: Satisfactory progress.
(xiv) Establishing all of the planned joint security stations in neighborhoods across Baghdad.
Assessment: Satisfactory progress.
(xv) Increasing the number of Iraqi security forces units capable of operating independently.
Assessment: Unsatisfactory progress.
(xvi) Ensuring that the rights of minority political parties in the Iraqi legislature are protected.
Assessment: Satisfactory progress.
(xvii) Allocating and spending $10 billion in Iraqi revenues for reconstruction projects, including delivery of essential services, on an equitable basis.
Assessment: Satisfactory progress.
(xviii) Ensuring that Iraq’s political authorities are not undermining or making false accusations against members of the ISF.
Assessment: Unsatisfactory progress.
More detail in the full interim report.
Overall, not bad for less than two months work. Contrast that with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's promise for the "first one hundred hours" of a Democrat Congress. Democrats have been in control of both the House and the Senate and have next to nothing to show for it.
House Democrats Benchmarks for "First Hundred Hours"
(i) We will restore civility, integrity, and fiscal responsibility to the House of Representatives.
Assessment: Don;t make me laugh! NOT!
(ii)Cleaning up Congress, breaking the link between lobbyists and legislation and commit to pay-as-you-go, no new deficit spending.
Assessment: HA HA HA!!! Don't hold your breath.
(iii)We will make our nation safer and we will begin by implementing the recommendations of the independent, bipartisan 9/11 Commission.
Assessment: Still not holding my breath.
(iv) Raising the minimum wage
Assessment: Passed and signed into law.
(v) We will make health care more affordable for all Americans, and we will begin by fixing the Medicare prescription drug program, putting seniors first by negotiating lower drug prices.
Assessment: Still nothing!
(vi) We will also promote stem cell research
Assessment: Nothing!
(vii) We will broaden college opportunity, and we will begin by cutting interest rates for student loans in half.
Assessment: When? Nothing done!
(viii) We will energize America by achieving energy independence,.
Assessment: If hot air energized America you'd get a gold star. NOTHING done!
(ix) We will guarantee a dignified retirement, and we will begin by fighting any attempt to privatize Social Security.
Assessment: Pfft! More hot air. Nothing done!
That's one out of nine for Democrats in the U.S. House. The Iraqi government achieved a solid 8 out of 18. So when do we declare the U.S. Congress a quagmire? Another Vietnam?
Redeploy Democrats in Congress NOW!
Thanks Chickenhawk Express for finding the cartoon!
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