GAO Releases Final Iraq Report: 11 Out Of 18 Goals Not Met

Associated Press:

Baghdad has not met 11 of its 18 political and security goals, according to a new independent report on Iraq that challenges President Bush's assessment on the war.

The study, conducted by the Government Accountability Office, was slightly more upbeat than initially planned. After receiving substantial resistance from the White House, the GAO determined that four benchmarks -- instead of two -- had been partially met.

Read the whole story: Associated Press

Comments

[oafishcad]

03:54 PM on 09/05/2007

And how did they know they were "al queda"?

[Canukistani]

01:51 PM on 09/05/2007

Doesn't matter. Nothing matters. Bush and company have already made up their minds and it doesn't matter what anybody does or says or thinks or what events happen or do not happen. They will do what they want to do and that's the end of the story. Don't bother with studies or reports or fact finding missions. Save your money. Reality is irrelevant.

[javaman]

11:50 AM on 09/05/2007

To everything spin spin spin.

[GhostintheMachine]

11:25 AM on 09/05/2007

CBS) BAGHDAD, Iraq One week before Gen. David Petraeus is expected to give his report on U.S. progress in Iraq, CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric says she has already seen dramatic improvements in the country.

"We hear so much about things going bad, but real progress has been made there in terms of security and stability," Couric said Tuesday. "I mean, obviously, infrastructure problems abound, but Sunnis and U.S. forces are working together. They banded together because they had a common enemy: al Qaeda."

Couric traveled to the city of Fallujah in Anbar province, which U.S. forces entered in April 2003 and again in November 2004. That is the same city where, in house-to-house fighting, American forces uncovered nearly two-dozen torture chambers.

"We found numerous houses, also, where people were just chained to a wall for extended periods of time," U.S. military intelligence officer Major Jim West said back on Nov. 22, 2004.

"The face of Satan was here in Fallujah, and I'm absolutely convinced that that was true," said Marine Lt. Col. Gareth Brandl.

It is also the city where four American military contractors were set on fire, mutilated and hanged from a bridge by insurgents.

Now Fallujah is "considered a real role model of something working right in Iraq," Couric said.

[notepad2]

09:37 AM on 09/05/2007

"Seeing Little Progress, Warner Announces Pullout Date"

07-09-01) — "Sen. John Warner, R-VA, today said the failure of politicians to make reforms and the lack of progress on “almost any benchmark you can name” have led him to conclude that the only way forward is to pull out of the U.S. Senate, therefore he will not seek reelection at the end of his current term."

http://www.scrappleface.com/?p=2663

“Without decisive action,” Mr. Warner said, “the Senate will continue to descend into a hopeless quagmire, with politicians paying lip service to substantive change while continuing the patterns of behavior that have brought us to this sad state of affairs. Ending my occupation of a Senate office effectively ends my implied consent of this fruitless process.”

[Captain EdwardGraham]

08:36 AM on 09/05/2007

Another US troop the Pentagon didnt report on:

.R. soldier dies during second stint in Iraq
The Altoona Herald-Mitchellville Index - Sep 05 2:07 AM Cedar Rapids native Sgt. Kevin Allan Gilbertson died on Friday in a hospital in Germany. The soldier, known as an upbeat, rabble-rousing, ball of fire nicknamed Gilmoe, was shot in Ramadi, Iraq, last week and died two days later. He was on his second tour in the country, military officials said.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOKb9WcCLgI&NR=1 ♫ SIEG HEIL VIKTORIA ~ Waffen SS parade

[Captain EdwardGraham]

08:38 AM on 09/05/2007

Iraq expects hard holy Ramadan month
Pravda Ru - Sep 04 5:00 AMSeveral battalions were formed to intensify suicide attacks against U.S. and Iraqi government targets in Iraq, a Sunni insurgent coalition that includes al-Qaida said.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp4vLBvU1bA&mode=related&search= Matt Lauer Corners Bush on Torture

[gvincent]

08:35 AM on 09/05/2007

The surge is working. And we ARE seeing trends. Only problem is, with the pace we are going it will take close to a decade to complete the mission.
http://www.crookedinc.com

[VOTER]

08:06 AM on 09/05/2007

Two Republican Bush Loyalist Key Words:

Surge

and

Trends
-------------------------------------------------------------
"The Surge is working. We are seeing trends."

"The trends are positive."

Still spinning ........................................

STOP THE LIES!

[Ammobob]

08:12 AM on 09/05/2007

You sure you don't mean 'LILIES'????

Buck the trend and surge ahead on this one.

Lies is soooooooo cliche'

[Ammobob]

08:01 AM on 09/05/2007

First it was 15 out of 18, then 13 out of 18, now 11 out of 18. Can we wait another week and get it doen to 9 out of 18? Or even better, wait until Spring 08 and get, say, 5 out of 18?????

That's the thing about 'progress' reports or 'grading' progress - it's a snapshot view that is obsolete as soon as it's reported.

[Ammobob]

08:01 AM on 09/05/2007

Kinda like buying a 'brand spankin' new' computer.

[robodweeb]

08:11 AM on 09/05/2007

The GAO administrator on C-SPAN a few minutes ago said it's NOT just a snapshot. It reflects trends.

Hmmm, who to believe...

[Captain EdwardGraham]

07:56 AM on 09/05/2007

09/05/07 MNF: MND-B troops attacked - 1 killed, 2 wounded
A Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldier was killed and two others wounded during combat operations in a western section of the Iraqi capital Sept. 4.


09/05/07 MNF: EFP strikes MND-B patrol - 3 killed, 2 wounded
Three Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers were killed and two others wounded when an explosively-formed penetrator detonated on their patrol during combat operations in an eastern section of the Iraqi capital Sept. 4.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qLNDuCLoFI&NR=1 Heil Bu$h

[robodweeb]

06:37 AM on 09/05/2007

"A successful strategy for Iraq goes beyond military operations. Ordinary Iraqi citizens must see that military operations are accompanied by visible improvements in their neighborhoods and communities.

So America will hold the Iraqi government to the benchmarks it has announced."

G.W. Bush January 2007

[gspan]

04:24 AM on 09/05/2007

Here's why we put up with it:

http://shrinkalink.com/18608

[jimmyaj]

03:33 AM on 09/05/2007

What goals? Yesterday they told us only three goals have been met... Now, eleven have NOT been met... Next they throw in a double-negative to confuse us more. Last month they said the Iraqis had met five (or was it six) of the "goals"...

This ball is spinning so fast, none of the bullshit will stick.

[StillAmused]

12:41 AM on 09/05/2007

Talk about abject failure... Junior's clusterfuck is such a disaster that, even when the fix was in, this was the best they could do.

[Nova16]

11:08 PM on 09/04/2007

The main goal and the most important one-- saving the Halliburton War Corporation from bankruptcy by starting a phony war to pilfer the US treasury in order to realize criminal profits for CEO Cheney and stock holders.