Study: Iraq Security Forces Not Ready

AP:

Iraq's security forces have made "uneven progress" and will be unable to take over security on their own in the next 12 to 18 months, according to an independent assessment.

The study, conducted by a 20-member panel led by retired Gen. James Jones, found the Iraqi Army shows promise of becoming a viable, independent security force with time. But the group offers a scathing assessment of Baghdad's Ministry of Interior and recommends scrapping Iraq's national police force, which it describes as dysfunctional and infiltrated by militias.

The review is one of several studies that Congress directed in May, when it agreed to fund the war for several more months but demanded that the Bush administration and independent groups assess U.S. progress in the four-year war. A copy of the first installment of the report, which includes some 150 pages, was obtained by The Associated Press.

Read the whole story: AP

Comments

[Ginzaman]

11:31 PM on 09/05/2007

Impeach Bush and Cheney. Before they get the reason to be dictators.

[leftLibertarian]

11:31 PM on 09/05/2007

yup another day
more bush incompetence and failure
and still
the gutless democrats unable and unwilling to impeach him

[RanTalbott]

09:59 AM on 09/06/2007

Yeah, isn't it shocking that the Democrats refuse to carry out the wishes of the overwhelming 36% majority who think there's justification for impeachment...

[Fire]

10:17 PM on 09/05/2007

Does his wife even bother with him half the time? I bet his wife needs a secret underground location.

[leftLibertarian]

10:11 PM on 09/05/2007

and still the Democrats don't have the balls to impeach bush

[momofsonofwar]

09:58 PM on 09/05/2007

Get over it mr. shrub your a LOSER>

[Plowboy]

08:55 PM on 09/05/2007

Did someone ask what good news?
Well, for a while they can obfuscate. Then they can spin.
And after a while something else can come up to capture the attantion. It's the same as always.

[getoffmedz]

08:29 PM on 09/05/2007

This "study" is merely another excuse to prolong this stupid fucking war.

[kay]

08:06 PM on 09/05/2007

I don't mean to be repetitive, and I know as in all massive conservative SCREW UPS and CRIMES we must "move on", but is it possible for our news media to start holding the President responsible for statements he is CURRENTLY making?

Can some intrepid reporter goddamn "ask the President" to explain this statement?

President Bush, January, 2007:

"To establish its authority, the Iraqi government plans to take responsibility for security in all of Iraq's provinces by November."

The President sold the surge with lies. He was lying yesterday.

I know it's impolite, but can someone ask the President, nicely, to stop lying?

[StillAmused]

08:54 PM on 09/05/2007

The stenographers didn't ask any questions in '03 when Junior said military action would be "a last resort", then promptly ordered out the inspectors and invaded.

The stenographers didn't ask any questions when Junior failed to comply with the conditions of the misnamed "Authorization To Use Force" (it's all right there in black and white). Regrettably, the Dems, hobbled by throwback consultants, also failed to call Bush on his non-compliance when it still mattered... and, in the process, allowed themselves to be tagged with having "voted to invade".

Helen Thomas tries.

Th - th - th - that's all, folks!

[Captain EdwardGraham]

07:26 PM on 09/05/2007

Bush tells biographer: 'I do tears'

Associated Press Writer
AP Photo A tear runs down President Bush's cheek as he takes part in a Medal of Honor Ceremony for Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham of Scio, N.Y., Thursday, Jan. 11, 2007, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Bush granted journalist Robert Draper several extended interviews in late 2006 and early 2007, as well as unusual access to his aides, for the book "Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush," which went on sale Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2007. In the book Bush is quoted as saying, "I've got God's shoulder to cry on. And I cry a lot. I do a lot of crying in this job. I'll bet I've shed more tears than you can count, as president. I'll shed some tomorrow."
WASHINGTON --Under that famously self-confident exterior is a president who weeps - a lot.

President Bush told the author of a new book on his presidency that "I try not to wear my worries on my sleeve" or show anything less than steadfastness in public, especially in a time of war.

"I fully understand that the enemy watches me, the Iraqis are watching me, the troops watch me, and the people watch me," he said. Yet, he said, "I do tears."

"I've got God's shoulder to cry on. And I cry a lot. I do a lot of crying in this job. I'll bet I've shed more tears than you can count, as president. I'll shed some tomorrow."

[leftLibertarian]

07:01 PM on 09/05/2007

No surprise here.

More bush failures.

Girlie men democrats still afraid to impeach him

[mommadona]

07:06 PM on 09/05/2007

What is it about character and lack of and the consequences of having such a character with lack of character as the main spokesperson to the rest of the world these people don't GET???????

HE AIN'T WORKIN' OUT SO WELL WITH THE OJT, THERE, FOLKS.

TIME TO PRY HIS FINGERS OFF THAT BUTTON AND MOVE HIM ON DOWN THAT THERE ROAD TO LOREDO.....

[unclebucky]

06:51 PM on 09/05/2007

Yeap.

Now, will Petraeus tell the truth? Will it be his text, or will it be plagerized from the White House or (Outer White House) scriptwriters?

Sincerely, there is the real world, and the Bushco world. I think that Betrayus will indeed betray us.

Ultimately, this General works for the People, just as his CIC works for us.

Will he?

Ugh.

--UB.

[mommadona]

06:43 PM on 09/05/2007

I BELIEVE IT'S TIME FOR 'POLLY THE PARROT'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H6DSoqZz_s

[bluesnot]

06:35 PM on 09/05/2007

Buncha dumbass lyin' rich people playing stupid games with our money.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hale-stewart/us-economy-heading-for_b_62850.html

[bluesnot]

06:55 PM on 09/05/2007

Congress won't have to bother pulling the purse strings.

[Woofer58]

08:02 PM on 09/05/2007

..and soon to be children, if the draft is reinstituted.

[Grannysue]

06:12 PM on 09/05/2007

What deaths, what bombs? Oh pay no attention to those people stacked in the corner, they are just "deadenders" that didn't leave yet.
Do they have electricity? No, good it's going well.
Do they have running water? No, good it's going well.
Are there any jobs for the Iraqi's, NO, good it's going well.
Can we turn over any of the area to the Iraqi's, NO, good it's going well.
Are the police corrupt and running amok killing people, YES, good it's going well.
Are our soldiers still being killed on a daily basis, YES, good it's going well!
Is the U.S. Bankrupt yet? No, but were getting close, good it's going well!
Have they driven most of the Sunni's out of Baghdad? Yes, good it's going well.
Do we have control of the OIL? Yes, but they haven't signed our "really fair" agreement yet. Well, that's not good, so we are staying until they sign the dam thing.
Bush probably thought Custer's last stand was a victory! The guy is pathetic, someone please commit him soon.

[MrBritesnide]

06:27 PM on 09/05/2007

“I'm playing for October-November," Mr. Bush said to Robert Draper, author the new Bush book, "Dead Certain". That, evidently, is the time during which, he thinks he can sell us the real plan, which is “to get us in a position where the presidential candidates will be comfortable about sustaining a presence."

Comfortable, that is, with saying about Iraq, again quoting the President, “stay... longer."

We've caught him. His goal is not to bring some troops home, as he said to the troops in Anbar on Monday, maybe, if we let him have your way now. His goal is not to set the stage for eventual withdrawal. He is, to use his own disrespectful phrase, "playing" at getting the next Republican nominee to agree to jump into this sack of lies with you, and take us with him, as we stay in Iraq for another year, and another, and another, and so on

Everything he said about Iraq on Monday, and everything he will say, is a deception, for the purpose of this one cynical, unacceptable, brutal goal: perpetuating this war indefinitely. So in effect he's lied to the nation, to the troops, even to his own party. I hope all you trolls are comfortable with that.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

05:08 PM on 09/05/2007

When El Busho made his speech in January 2007 proposing the surge, he warned that violence might increase. Duh.

But he said that was a necessary risk in pursuit of the long-term goal of providing the security environment (then prospective increased deaths aside) in which POLITICAL RECONCILIATION could take place.

That was the only goal El Busho said mattered, and was the goal that was the pretense and sole reason for undertaking the surge.

And on THAT goal, the surge has not failed in some comparative metric (i.e., trend in deaths per month, deaths in month X this year over last), it has failed in a simple binary notion: the Sunnis have walked out on the once-joint, now-Shiite, government.

We need not even rehash the paradox of El Busho in January 2007; the Iraqis need to earn our continued support through actions of their own, vs., our continued military presence is in our national self-interest to prevent another 9/11.

Sunni butts in government seats (cabinet or legislature) = 0. Surge = 0.

Note that the Surgin' General Petraeus UNDERCUT the nominal political-unity goal by cutting deals directly with the Sunni insurgents, er, excuze me, "militias." For which he didn't need any troop increase whatsoever, and for which PM al-Maliki asked earlier this summer that Petraeus be removed.

Last (and thanks for reading), Republican parrot John Boner (sic), accusing REALISTS of quibbling that an attempt to "kick an 80-yard field goal fell 20 or so short" is revolting. His man defined the goal, then 45 yards out, and now he's moving the goalposts... given the ball didn't even make it back to scrimmage.

[sarge]

08:00 PM on 09/05/2007

Good to see you back, RIMR...have a good vacation from Huffpo? Any withdrawals?....I generally click on your profile to try to learn something and/or get a laugh...but you've been MIA!