Cyrena,
I sort of think that Iran will eventually take up the slack in Iraq and throw our butts out of there.
I would much prefer to see Iran take control then to leave the Iraqi people at the mercy of the US.

98009 by boggs,

There it is in the nutshell. These have NEVER been goals for the Iraqis, but rather a list of things that Cheney wants them to do. In short, it’s extortion…
We’re holding them hostage in their own land, demanding that they do this, that, and the other thing, even though the only “benchmark” the White House cares about is the signing of the Hydrocarbon Law.

So, bascially, that’s what the “benchmarks” are. They’re a list of demands just like any other individual or group comes up with, when they highjack something, and hold people hostage.

In this case, they’ve demanded that the Iraqis sign over all of their oil, (80% of it at least) and…if they DON’T..the punishment is that 1)we will NOT leave, no matter what you try to do to us. 2)we’re NOT giving you any of the reconstruction money until you sign over the oil. 3) Just to be clear, we’re not leaving without it.

So, based on that, I think what is needed is an ace “hostage negotiation team” that can come in and try to negotiate with the Mob, and see if there’s any way to get them to agree to release the remaining hostages in Iraq. (the ones that haven’t already died or fled in this on-going hostage crises).

Ordinarily, we’d expect the UN to maybe take the lead here, but…I fear the Mob controls them as well.

It’s a major catastrophe, but I guess that’s the understatement of the day.

Those 18 goals that our gov’t keeps referring to are OUR goals, not Iraqi goals.
I wish Malacki would tell Bush, and our senators to shove the goals up their butts.

As the White House and the Boy George react to this report, the Boy said in a speech yesterday, that there “progress” that really matters, is the progress that is taking place in the lives and neighborhoods of the Iraqi people. THAT, he says, is the real “progress”.

So, we’ll just assume that he believes that the mass exodus of millions of Iraqis from their neigborhoods, must be “progress”. For his agenda, that probably IS progress. There are that many fewer people there to fight for their rights, and to save their oil from all out theft.

Meantime, anybody that has remained, is now safely locked-up in those concrete enclaves (the neighborhoods the Boy mentioned) and they can’t get in or out, so they’re “safe”.

Big progress.

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/08/30/3495/

QuyTran: “It must be none of them !”

  This is the true tragedy. As long as Bush can find some minor straws of hope, we will be stuck approving yet another Friedman Unit.

  The last I heard, they aren’t going to spin it, but let the different generals give their own reports. The DOD is reportedly doing this because the military doesn’t want to be “responsible” for the resulting policy (continuing the surge), but wants it to be clearly seen to be Bushes decision. Of course the plan is to this report on September 11th. After a day of emotional recreations (and Muslim bating), we will trot out the patriotic music, and then trumpet the “progress” made by our brave servicemen.

  ocjim: Even with a draft we couldn’t have forces available in time. Unless we were to send almost totally untrained, and underequiped soldiers into IED alley. Also the military leaders are concerned about our readiness for an unforseen emergency. But Bush won’t have any part of that, objections are dismissed as defeatism. (Kinda reminds you of the Wehrmacht in 1945 doesn’t it.)

Incredibly the criminal BushCo has slready convinced many in the media, saying that the surge is a success. This report and other independent reports suggest modest gains which will only continue if American surge forces continue well into the next year (impossible without a draft) and if Iraqi forces cooperate (pipedream). The civilian toll has not declined but that never was important to Shrub. And now we have to worry about a foray into Iran. Don’t let wimp democrats, the BushCo propaganda, or the corporate media railroad us agains.

3 out of 18 Iraq goals are met still too high ! It must be none of them !

This looming progress report deadline just might be one more reasonShrub is anxious to start bombing Iran; get the public’s mind off Iraq.
I read where one unidentified officer, of staff rank, was quoted as saying that maybe the idea of installing Western style Democracy in Iraq was a mistake.
Ya think?
I can remember the Shrub saying in an interview years ago now, that bringing Peace to the world was his goal and he felt that it could be done.
Coming from a person who had never accomplished anything, it sounded ludicrous. And still does.
No doubt the report that Preterus(sp?) will present will be thoroughly vetted, if not entirely written, by the WH.
Already the WH is saying that different standards are being used in measuring ‘progress’. I bet.
Anything to avoid the Shrub being seen as the most clueless President in all history, although, in reality, it is way too late to avoid that.