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Report on Iraq Sees Progress on 8 of 18 Benchmarks »

Posted by: deathray 2 years, 5 months ago

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President Bush said today that talk of troop withdrawals did not at this time constitute the "real debate" on Iraq, as his administration released an assessment report this morning asserting that the Iraqi government has shown satisfactory performance on a number of the 18 benchmarks for progress in political and security fronts.

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deathray

Hm...summarizing a life...Investment banker, sailor, unintentional gourmet cook. Ex US Naval officer, also Foreign Service. Split my time between NYC and Miami Beach ...

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Comments: 77

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deathray
July 12, 2007, 11:40 a.m.
Is the glass half empty or half full, and who do you believe?
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torrent29
July 12, 2007, 12:35 p.m.
It seems a little late now to complain that they are not realistic.
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Jaydee40
July 12, 2007, 12:46 p.m.
And how many of these militias have American funding and weapons so they can keep up the violence?
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willcoop
July 12, 2007, 11:49 a.m.
After all of these "lies" that have been coming out I suppose it sounds rather absurd to suggest that you trust what is being said. However... I say believe what is being said and recognize that progess is being made, slowly but surely.
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pismo
July 12, 2007, 12:02 p.m.
So we have achieved at best a C on 8 of the 18 benchmarks. Assuming we get a failing grade on the rest, we have to conclude we are failing Iraq. Right?
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HannibalBarca
July 12, 2007, 12:06 p.m.
There has also been unsatisfactory progress on equitable distribution of oil and gas revenue, the report said........Thats a biggie as Hallibortion and co want their cut of the pie, the whole pie
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joeblowe
July 12, 2007, 12:17 p.m.
"...as troops work to defeat Al Qaeda and other extremists; and thereby create the conditions allowing American forces to return home" - and just how, exactly, will we know when this has happened? There is no way to tell if we have "won." Is it the absence of bomb blasts for ... let's say 1 week? 1 month? 1 year? What will that prove? If the idiot damned terrorists had the SLIGHTEST little bit of intelligence, they would just disappear for a few months until the troops were withdrawn. "Play dead", if you will. Continuously attacking and getting killed isn't necessarily the best way to "win" here. It seems like everyone involved in prosecuting this conflict is an idiot in one way or another.
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eugenegerard
July 12, 2007, 12:23 p.m.
The deal breaker on Iraq is the law that the US is DEMANDING be passed. The oil law would effectively give all oil rights and profits to the oil consortium that promoted this war for the next 30 years. All the rest is smoke and mirrors. This war is about STEALING OIL. The American public gets to pay trillions of dollars in taxes and the loss of their children in war to fill the coffers of the Oil Companies.
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eugenegerard
July 12, 2007, 12:22 p.m.
The Iraqi government will never sign this law into action. They and their children will never beable to live in Iraq again.
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not2needy
July 12, 2007, 12:24 p.m.
I am not now nor have i ever been in favor of the war in Iraq. Nothing Bush says now or ever will make me change my mind in regards to this.
It's about oil, has always been about oil and nothing anyone tells me will change my opinion of that.
The sad part is that none of the proceeds are ever going to be passed along to the consumers, the big oil companies and politicians are going to pocket all the profits.
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Goppy
July 12, 2007, 12:54 p.m.
success and failure is sumpthin that is subjective.
True patriots like us Christian Conservatrives understand that merely for tryin to recreate Iraq in the image of Goerge W. is success enuf.
This is compared to Clinton firin a cruise missle at Osama bin Laden. That was a failur cause he got that BJ. Or dint youall know that.
And ifn theres any doubt bout these explanations of success an faiulre, all yous got to do is watch any TV or Radio and theyre likely to tell you Goerge Bush is a patriot and all them who detracts from G-dubs greatness is unpatriotic and unChristian.
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Poulenc
July 12, 2007, 1:22 p.m.
Amen, Goppy. To a point. I'm a fellow radio-watcher, but what I see isn't quite as positive, from the neo- POV.
Bush and Co. will simply protract the Iraqi "action" until the (blessed) end of their term, then dump the whole mess into the lap of the next X and Co. (I'm not talking chromosomes here.) Alas, it's all To Be Continued....
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Radiofreeeuropa
July 12, 2007, 2:24 p.m.
Goppy is the MAN! The Stephen Colbert of Netscape. It's just that there are a bunch of others here that say the same things without the sarcasm. It lowers the collective I.Q. enough to actually accept mind numbing things like "success is failure" and "war is peace" as plausible to some.
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Poulenc
July 12, 2007, 3:03 p.m.
Charson, as for Goppy, it's several tongues in cheek. That is, he (or she) speaks with forked tongues. That is, it's all a send-up of a semi-literate, god-fearin', redneck-type know-nothing whose politics (if you can call them that) are slightly to the right of...to the right of...well, you (now) get the picture.
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GregD
July 12, 2007, 3:39 p.m.
The POTUS ignores polls but pays attention to benchmarks? I vote that we rename his abysmal "polls" to "benchmarks" in hopes that he'll stop ignoring them...
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texangelwings
July 12, 2007, 4:13 p.m.
Considering our Presidents past history, the grade is based on a curve and it is called a 'gentlemans C'. My glass is always half-full, this administration keeps punching holes in their glasses, leaking everywhere, then scrambling to clean up the messes.
I believe, the voices of truth that are being silenced. I believe that we have zero business staying in Iraq.
The Iraqi government is like a toddler learning how to walk. We have been teaching them for over 4 years. Sooner or later they need to stand on their and start walking on their own!
Is the parliment on vacation yet?
Thanks DR, great find!
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lisaneuc
July 12, 2007, 4:33 p.m.
Did they make progress on 8 criteria since Tuesday? The early call on this was that Iraq had met ZERO benchmarks. (Story at:http://...">http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070710/D8Q9EA...
The question also remains: at what cost? U.S. casualties hit an all-time high last month. Are any of the benchmarks they supposedly hit (and, yes, I'm suspicious of who did the grading) worth the lives spent?
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Amazing1
July 12, 2007, 7:46 p.m.
I don't believe any of the goals were met. Reminds me of the time I was working for a large phone company where they were doing the forecasting for future phone line needs. I did the research and wrote the report. Two weeks later, my supervisor calls me into his office to sign the report. But I've got a good memory for numbers and they aren't the right ones. I refused to sign. Made no difference. They got someone else to do it. And guess what, that person got a promotion and I didn't. That's how it works. They started out with no goals met. Massaged that report like crazy and all along the line, the picture got rosier and rosier. If they had had another two weeks to finish, you would have seen progress on all 18 goals and Bush walking on water.
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doppich
July 12, 2007, 8:13 p.m.
Four years of sinking into the morass. Now, four months after adding a few thousand troops, success nears? Do you think he'll bet the Crawford ranch?
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jovial
July 12, 2007, 9:47 p.m.
Get us the heck out of there. This whole war is immoral.
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amerettoice
July 13, 2007, 9:21 a.m.
if I showed improvement in 8 out of 18 benchmarks at my place of employment.... well folks I would be out on my ear by noon.....
five years now and no solution...this new world order isnt shaping up like is susposed to huh George. Now what are you goina do when your put before the tribunal of 9?
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queenb727
July 13, 2007, 9:42 a.m.
Either they met the benchmarks or the didn't. How long are we willing to let them make "progress". They've been making progress for nearly four and a half years. How about they just get something done.
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StarLord
July 13, 2007, 11:17 a.m.
In response to those who accuse the Bush Administration's critics of a shortage of patriotism, I make the following quote:
"Patriotism is supporting your country all of hte time, and your government when they deserve it" - Mark Twain.
It seems that this is a time for genuine patriots to come out of the woodwork.