Petraeus: Iraqi Leaders Not Making 'Sufficient Progress'

[Gunit Hussein Sangh]

St. Petraeus, Who We Must Never Question

By Cameron W. Barr
Washington Post Foreign Service
Friday, March 14, 2008; Page A10

BAGHDAD, March 13 -- Iraqi leaders have failed to take advantage of a reduction in violence to make adequate progress toward resolving their political differences, Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said Thursday.

Petraeus, who is preparing to testify to Congress next month on the Iraq war, said in an interview that "no one" in the U.S. and Iraqi governments "feels that there has been sufficient progress by any means in the area of national reconciliation," or in the provision of basic public services.

The general's comments appeared to be his sternest to date on Iraqis' failure to achieve political reconciliation. In February, following the passage of laws on the budget, provincial elections and an amnesty for certain detainees, Petraeus was more encouraging. "The passage of the three laws today showed that the Iraqi leaders are now taking advantage of the opportunity that coalition and Iraqi troopers fought so hard to provide," he said at the time.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/13/AR2008031303793.html

And do you remember what bush said just 14 months ago


http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/01/20070110-7.html

I've made it clear to the Prime Minister and Iraq's other leaders that America's commitment is not open-ended. If the Iraqi government does not follow through on its promises, it will lose the support of the American people -- and it will lose the support of the Iraqi people. Now is the time to act.

[they call me MR. GRUMPY god damn it!]

not only are they not making enough progress but the courtesy extended mr a.  while are soldiers are being killed with iranian arms and trained assassins is reminiscent of somolia and the escort our rangers provided the very warlord who orchestrated Mogadishu.

[Peter1469]

An interesting phenomenon is the power shift to local government from the central government.  Although the central government appears to be asleep at the wheel, local authorities (sheiks) are mobilizing their power-base to rid their territory of foreign insurgents.  The Army was facilitating this until L. Paul Bremer put an end to it in favor of a strong central government.  I would temper any thoughts of strategic failure do to the central government’s inability to do anything with this phenomenon. 

[they call me MR. GRUMPY god damn it!]

An interesting phenomenon is the power shift to local government from the central government.  Although the central government appears to be asleep at the wheel, local authorities (sheiks) are mobilizing their power-base to rid their territory of foreign insurgents.  The Army was facilitating this until L. Paul Bremer put an end to it in favor of a strong central government.  I would temper any thoughts of strategic failure do to the central government’s inability to do anything with this phenomenon. 

excellent point.  it is hard to get to hyped over the dysfunction within iraq's central govt given the dysfunction within our own.

[Vermouth]

I heard the US helped provide the security for Ahmedinejad's visit to Iraq.

[conley]

I heard the US helped provide the security for Ahmedinejad's visit to Iraq.

there's no doubt. if the us hadn't stepped in and provided security he would have been splattered all over the street.

oh, the irony

[Peter1469]

Of course.  

[they call me MR. GRUMPY god damn it!]

i guess petraus is now saying that the story in the post is bs.  according to fair and balanced fox, the transcript bears our petraus.

[Vermouth]

i guess petraus is now saying that the story in the post is bs.  according to fair and balanced fox, the transcript bears our petraus.

The Washington Post did not misquote Petraeus. They described his comments as "his sternest to date on Iraqis' failure to achieve political reconciliation." Some military commanders didn't approve of the characterization because Petraeus himself did not use the word "failure."

[they call me MR. GRUMPY god damn it!]

i guess petraus is now saying that the story in the post is bs.  according to fair and balanced fox, the transcript bears our petraus.

The Washington Post did not misquote Petraeus. They described his comments as "his sternest to date on Iraqis' failure to achieve political reconciliation." Some military commanders didn't approve of the characterization because Petraeus himself did not use the word "failure."

wouldn't all be better served by the post saving their characterizations and letting the words of petraus speak for themselves??