Report to conclude that Iraq progress "satisfactory"

It is certainly wise to put "satisfactory" in scare quotes! Another recent article points out that Al Qaeda is thriving in Iraq.
Another report by intelligence chiefs says that the US is not doing well at all and that the future looks bleak. It remains to be seen if this report does anything at all to quiet the rebellion against Bush such as it is.

U.S. report to conclude Iraq progress 'satisfactory': official
Last Updated: Thursday, July 12, 2007 | 9:23 AM ET
CBC News
The Bush administration will release a report Thursday that gives the Iraqi government satisfactory grades on eight of 18 political and security goals, a U.S. official said.

The anticipated 23-page report, to be released later in the morning, is expected to offer a mixed assessment of the Iraqi government's political, economic and military progress amid increasing calls for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the war-torn country.

According to Reuters, the U.S. official who gave advanced details of the report said that another eight of the 18 Baghdad benchmarks were graded as unsatisfactory, while two others had mixed results.

The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the report has not yet been released.

U.S. President George W. Bush is expected to hold a news conference at the White House later this morning and will likely comment on the report's findings.

Some administration officials familiar with the report said in advance it concludes that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government has failed to pass long-promised laws that the White House has called key to national cohesion and economic recovery, such as legislation that would fairly divide Iraq's oil resources.

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But the officials also said the report would show progress in several areas, such as a drop in sectarian killings in Baghdad and opposition to al-Qaeda terrorists by tribal sheiks in Anbar province.

Democrats call for vote to end mission
Emboldened by a growing Republican divide on the issue, Democrats called for a vote on legislation to end U.S. combat operations next year. The House of Representatives planned to vote first on Thursday.

Democrats cite the report's findings as proof the war effort is failing, while Republicans loyal to Bush say the limited progress shows hope and that lawmakers should not lose faith.


On Wednesday, House Republican Leader John Boehner called the growing number of defectors in the Senate from his party "wimps" during a private meeting.

Boehner's spokesman, Brian Kennedy, said Boehner's comments "were intended to illustrate the fact that we just recently voted to give the troops our full support — including ample time for the [Gen. David] Petraeus plan to work, and that too much is at stake for Congress to renege on its commitment now by approving what can only be described as another partisan stunt by Democrats."

More opposition amid mounting deaths
Public opinion polls show Americans' ever-deepening opposition to the war in Iraq amid a climbing U.S. casualty count 16 months before the 2008 elections.

Bush has said it is too early to assess the effect the troop surge has had in stabilizing Iraq.

Also Thursday, the leader of Iraq's largest Shia political party said he will stand by al-Maliki and urged Sunnis not to abandon the political process, promising serious efforts to solve any problem angering them.

Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim's written comments were received by the Associated Press on Thursday in response to questions sent to him last week. The leader of the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq is in Iran for cancer treatment.

Al-Maliki's coalition has been weakened by a Sunni Arab boycott and wrangling over political benchmarks that the United States is pushing the prime minister to pass. Some Sunni politicians have called for removing al-Maliki, calling him biased toward his fellow Shias.

With files from the Associated Press