GAO: We are not making progress in Iraq. Bush: Are too
posted by
Wally
8:57 AM
Iraq has failed to meet all but three of 18 congressionally mandated benchmarks for political and military progress, according to a draft of a Government Accountability Office report. The document questions whether some aspects of a more positive assessment by the White House last month adequately reflected the range of views the GAO found within the administration.
The strikingly negative GAO draft, which will be delivered to Congress in final form on Tuesday, comes as the White House prepares to deliver its own new benchmark report in the second week of September, along with congressional testimony from Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker. They are expected to describe significant security improvements and offer at least some promise for political reconciliation in Iraq. Of course the Bush administration denies that the GAO report is accurate, primarily because it isn't blowing glowing smoke rings up Great Leaders Bush's ass. That and the administration has a problem with the "accountability" part of the General Accountability Office.Asked to comment on the GAO draft, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said, "General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker are there on the ground every day in Iraq, and it's important to wait to hear what they have to say." He disputed any suggestion that the July White House assessment did not consider all internal views, noting that it resulted from "a lengthy and far-reaching process throughout the State and Defense departments and other agencies." "Far Reaching" I'll believe. If there's one thing that the Bush administration is good at, it's "reaching" when it comes to things like "facts". Reaching up their asses mostly.Johndroe emphasized that "while we've all seen progress in some areas, especially on the security front, it's not surprising the GAO would make this assessment, given the difficult congressionally mandated measurement they had to follow." Oh now I get it. They're not blaming the GAO for the bad report. They're blaming Congress! Bad bad Congress, setting "standards" and "goals" and "benchmarks" so they could measure "progress". Those evil congresspeople. Don't they know they should just trust our Great Leader and everything will turn out just fabulous?
Quagmire
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