The Bush administration will release a report on progress in Iraq later today that will say the Iraqi government has made satisfactory progress on eight of the 18 benchmarks set by Congress.
In the security category, progress on three of eight benchmarks were marked satisfactory. The satisfactory categories were providing Iraqi brigades for the surge, setting up joint security stations with the Americans and reducing the level of sectarian violence.
But in other categories considered key to success in Iraq, such as ensuring that Iraqi security forces are providing evenhanded enforcement and increasing the number of Iraqi forces capable of operating independently, the report determined progress had not been satisfactory.
The report concludes that the Iraqi forces, a major part of President Bush’s strategy, simply have “not made sufficient progress.”
Bush Says Wait Until September
Of nine benchmarks on the political front, only four were found satisfactory, and those were hardly significant achievements.
For example, a “review committee” was formed and “legislation on procedures” was implemented.
Areas where there was not sufficient progress include political reconciliation and disarming militias — both areas vital to Iraq’s future.
The one satisfactory economic benchmark involved the allocation of funds, but the money has yet to be spent so the Iraqi people have not seen the results.
The report cites one reason for the difficulties, saying, “The increasing concern among Iraqi political leaders that the U.S. may not have a long-term commitment to Iraq has served in recent months to reinforce hedging behaviors and made the hardest political bargains even more difficult.”
The president is expected to comment on the report this morning but will stress it’s only an interim snapshot. He is urging Congress to wait until the final report in September before making any final judgements on strategy in Iraq.
 A U.S. soldier from the 2nd battalion, 32nd Field Artillery brigade patrols the street in Yarmuk neighborhood in Baghdad on July 11, 2007.
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