Initial Benchmark Assessment Report

[SWJED]

Released today by the White House - Initial Benchmark Assessment Report.

This report to Congress is submitted consistent with Section 1314 of the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007 (Public Law 110-28) (the “Act”). It includes an assessment of how the sovereign Government of Iraq is performing in its efforts to achieve a series of specific benchmarks contained in the Act, as well as any adjustments to strategy that may be warranted in light of that performance. This is the first of two reports to be submitted consistent with the Act and has been prepared in consultation with the Secretaries of State and Defense; Commander, Multi-National Forces-Iraq; the United States Ambassador to Iraq; and the Commander of United States Central Command, consistent with Section 1314(b)(2)(B) of the Act. This assessment complements other reports and information about Iraq provided to the Congress and is not intended as a single source of all information about the combined efforts or the future strategy of the United States, its Coalition Partners, or Iraq...

More at the link, 25 pages...

[Tom Odom]

There is so much spin in this it makes my head ache. Those that are assessed as positive are fairly straight forward. Those that are negative immediately branch off into sequentials combining excuses, assumptions, and plain old fashion hopes that things will get better.

A straight forward assessment is not to be found here; big surprise, I know.

Tom

[tequila]

Anthony Cordesman is quick off the mark. He is rather scathing as well.