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White House counters GAO report on Iraq

A draft report says political progress lacking.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published August 31, 2007

WASHINGTON - An independent assessment concluding that Iraq has made little political progress in recent months despite an influx of U.S. troops drew fierce pushback from the White House on Thursday and provided fresh ammunition for Democrats who want to bring troops home.

The political wrangling came days before the report was to be officially released and while most lawmakers were still out of town for the August recess, reflecting the high stakes involved for both sides in the Iraq war debate. President Bush, who planned to meet today at the Pentagon with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is nearing a decision on a way forward in Iraq while Congress planned another round of votes this fall to end the war.

"It is clear that every objective expert keeps providing the American public with the same facts: that the president's flawed Iraq strategy is failing to deliver what it needs to - a political solution for Iraq," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

A draft report by the Government Accountability Office concluded Iraq has satisfied three of 18 benchmarks set by Congress and partly met two others, a senior administration official said Thursday.

None of those are the high-profile political issues such as passage of a national oil revenue sharing law that the Bush administration has said are critical to Iraq's future.

"The real question that people have is: What's going on in Iraq? Are we making progress? Militarily, is the surge having an impact?" said White House spokesman Tony Snow. "The answer is yes. There's no question about it."

But Democrats and even some Republicans say military progress made in recent weeks is not the issue. If Baghdad politicians refuse to reach a lasting political settlement that can influence the sectarian-fueled violence, the increase in troops is useless, they said.

"By almost every measurable measure of progress, they have not only failed to progress, they have in many cases gone backward," said Rep. Jason Altmire, D-Pa., after his recent trip to Iraq. "That to me is the most troubling part of the experience that we had - because we can see, on the military side, our men and women are doing what has been asked of them."

The Pentagon and State Department provided detailed and lengthy objections to the GAO this week in hope of swaying the findings.

Fast facts

The report

Iraq has fully met requirements toward:

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

-Establishing joint security stations in neighborhoods across Baghdad.

-Ensuring that the rights of minority political parties in the legislature are protected.

Iraq has only partly met requirements toward:

-Legislation on procedures to form semiautonomous regions.

-Allocating and spending $10-billion in Iraqi revenue for reconstruction projects on an equitable basis.

Iraq has not met requirements toward:

-Providing three trained and ready Iraqi brigades to support Baghdad operations.

-Ensuring that the Baghdad security plan will not provide a safe haven for outlaws.

-Legislation on de-Baathification.

-Legislation to ensure the equitable distribution of hydrocarbon resources without regard to the sect or ethnicity of recipients, and legislation to ensure that energy resources of Iraq benefit Iraqi citizens in an equitable manner.

-Providing Iraqi commanders with all authorities to execute this plan.

-Ensuring that Iraqi Security Forces are providing evenhanded law enforcement.

-Increasing the number of Iraqi security forces units operating independently.

-Ensuring that Iraq's political authorities are not undermining members of the Iraqi Security Forces.

-Reducing the level of sectarian violence in Iraq and eliminating militia control of local security.

-Legislation establishing an Independent High Electoral Commission, provincial elections law, provincial council authorities and a date for provincial elections.

-Completing the constitutional review.

-Legislation addressing amnesty.

-Legislation establishing a strong militia disarmament program.

[Last modified August 31, 2007, 00:41:40]