Wednesday, September 5, 2007

18 Benchmarks or Progress Down the Drain

18 benchmarks set forth in H.R. 2206. These are directly related to the successful reconstruction of Iraq, something I will be talking about in relation to the Marshall Plan of post WWII. I have included where the White House says we are and where the GAO believes we really are.

(1) Forming a Constitutional Review Committee and then completing the constitutional review.

Dubya – Mission Accomplished.
GAO – Nope.

(2) Enacting and implementing legislation on de-Baathification.

Dubya de baths aren’t done yet.
GAO – not on your life

(3) Enacting and implementing legislation to ensure the equitable distribution of hydrocarbon resources of the people of Iraq without regard to the sect or ethnicity of recipients, and enacting and implementing legislation to ensure that the energy resources of Iraq benefit Sunni Arabs, Shia Arabs, Kurds, and other Iraqi citizens in an equitable manner.

Nothing done to benefit any citizen.

(4) Enacting and implementing legislation on procedures to form semi-autonomous regions.

Dubya – Mission Accomplished
GAO – Wrong again


(5) Enacting and implementing legislation establishing an Independent High Electoral Commission, provincial elections law, provincial council authorities, and a date for provincial elections.

Dubya – Partially Complete
GAO – Say What, are you insane?

(6) Enacting and implementing legislation addressing amnesty.

Dubya and GAO agree, not done

(7) Enacting and implementing legislation establishing a strong militia disarmament program to ensure that such security forces are accountable only to the central government and loyal to the Constitution of Iraq.

Same as #6, This will never happen, the NRA has probably intervened citing the 2nd Amendment.

(8) Establishing supporting political, media, economic, and services committees in support of the Baghdad Security Plan.

Finally both agree something got done, even if it is only a bunch of committees.

(9) Providing three trained and ready Iraqi brigades to support Baghdad operations.

Only 3; remember a past post, a Brigade is between 1,500 and 3,500 troops. We have been there for what, 4 ½ (March 20, 2003) years and we still don’t have even 3 of them trained?

Dubya thinks it’s done, no one else agrees, only a partial.


(10) Providing Iraqi commanders with all authorities to execute this plan and to make tactical and operational decisions, in consultation with U.S commanders, without political intervention, to include the authority to pursue all extremists, including Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias.

Nope and Nope but pretty important don’t you think?

(11) Ensuring that the Iraqi Security Forces are providing even handed enforcement of the law.

Ditto #10

(12) Ensuring that, according to President Bush, Prime Minister Maliki said 'the Baghdad security plan will not provide a safe haven for any outlaws, regardless of sectarian or political affiliation'.

A true Bushism, he thinks is done, the GAO does not agree, a partial. To me the whole country appears to be a safe haven for all outlaws.

(13) Reducing the level of sectarian violence in Iraq and eliminating militia control of local security.

Dubya, sure thing, this is done, them secretaries are only violent once in a while now.
GAO, not on your life, have you see the news?

(14) Establishing all of the planned joint security stations in neighborhoods across Baghdad.

Unbelievable but both say mission accomplished, but are they manned with non-militia, sectarian members?

(15) Increasing the number of Iraqi security forces units capable of operating independently.

Both agree this has not been done. Again after 4 ½ years, what’s the hold up?

(16) Ensuring that the rights of minority political parties in the Iraqi legislature are protected.

Yep, done, but so what when you think about the big picture? Their rights might be protected, one of them being the right to not do anything to help stabilize the country, another their right to die due to sectarian violence.

(17) Allocating and spending $10 billion in Iraqi revenues for reconstruction projects, including delivery of essential services, on an equitable basis.

Still short of all major utility services and just about everything else. Still no infrastructure. $10 billion is peanuts, what happened to the rest of the $$ we flew over there. Hell we only spent $13 billion to rebuild all of Europe after WWII.

(18) Ensuring that Iraq's political authorities are not undermining or making false accusations against members of the Iraqi Security Forces.

Basic stuff, no one in Iraq can trust their leadership if this is not done. Oh by the way, it’s zip zip.

The final tally, dubya says 8 of the 18 are done, with 2 partials. The GAO on the other hand believes only 3 of the 18 have been addressed with 4 partials.

Who ya gonna believe?

Next: How does post WWII Europe compare/contrast to Iraq today?