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White House Iraq Report: Mixed Progress

Cites gains on military benchmarks, lack of progress on political goals

By Colleen Barry,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 12, 2007 5:57 AM CDT
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(Newser) – The White House's interim report on its progress in Iraq, to be released today, will cite "satisfactory" work on eight of 18  benchmarks set by Congress, insufficient improvement on eight more, and mixed results on the final two. Most of the positive movement  has been on the military front, the Washington Post reports, and the failures in the political arena.

The administration's analysis directly contradicts US intelligence services' uniformly bleak view revealed yesterday, that Iraqi forces will be incapable of providing security for years to come, in view of deepening sectarian rivalries will. Bush is expected to argue that troops sent in March's "surge" haven't been in Iraq long enough to make major progress and they should be given more time. A second report is due in September.

U.S. and Iraqi soldiers stand on a street during a pre-dawn raid that netted nine suspected al-Qaida members in Baqouba, 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, July 9, 2007. (AP Photo)
U.S. and Iraqi soldiers stand on a street during a pre-dawn raid that netted nine suspected al-Qaida members in Baqouba, 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, July 9, 2007. (AP...   (Associated Press)
U.S. and Iraqi soldiers stand on a street during a pre-dawn raid that netted nine suspected al-Qaida members in Baqouba, 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, July 9, 2007. (AP Photo)
U.S. and Iraqi soldiers stand on a street during a pre-dawn raid that netted nine suspected al-Qaida members in Baqouba, 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, July 9, 2007. (AP...   (Associated Press)
Iraqi boys peer into the shell of a car that was destroyed in an overnight raid by U.S. and Iraqi troops in the Shiite enclave of Sadr City of Baghdad, Iraq Tuesday, July 10, 2007. Police said two were killed and four injured by U.S. and Iraqi forces...
Iraqi boys peer into the shell of a car that was destroyed in an overnight raid by U.S. and Iraqi troops in the Shiite enclave of Sadr City of Baghdad, Iraq Tuesday, July 10, 2007. Police said two were...   (Associated Press)
An Iraqi woman passes a store that was destroyed in an overnight raid by U.S. and Iraqi troops in the Shiite enclave of Sadr City of Baghdad, Iraq Tuesday, July 10, 2007. Police said two were killed and four injured by U.S. and Iraqi forces conducting house-to-house searches...
An Iraqi woman passes a store that was destroyed in an overnight raid by U.S. and Iraqi troops in the Shiite enclave of Sadr City of Baghdad, Iraq Tuesday, July 10, 2007. Police said two were killed and...   (Associated Press)
U.S. Army soldiers examine the wreckage from a car bomb attack that injured a woman in the Harithiyah neighborhood of western Baghdad, Iraq Monday, July 9, 2007. Attacks in Baghdad killed 13 people Monday as prominent Shiite and Sunni politicians called on Iraqi civilians to take up arms to...
U.S. Army soldiers examine the wreckage from a car bomb attack that injured a woman in the Harithiyah neighborhood of western Baghdad, Iraq Monday, July 9, 2007. Attacks in Baghdad killed 13 people Monday...   (Associated Press)
U.S. and Iraqi soldiers detain a man suspected of providing false documents for al-Qaida during a pre-dawn raid in Baqouba, 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, July 9, 2007. U.S. and Iraqi forces detained nine suspected al-Qaida members. (AP Photo)
U.S. and Iraqi soldiers detain a man suspected of providing false documents for al-Qaida during a pre-dawn raid in Baqouba, 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, July 9, 2007....   (Associated Press)
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Earlier leaks had the report as all negative
Associated Press

World • Politics • US

 
Iraq • Bush administration • Democratic Congress • Iraq pullout • president • benchmarks • Iraq war • Iraq exit strategy • George W. Bush

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