CNN’s Ware Disputes Kagan’s Claim That Iraq Has ‘Met 12 Out Of The Original 18 Benchmarks’
CNN’s Ware Disputes Kagan’s Claim That Iraq Has ‘Met 12 Out Of The Original 18 Benchmarks’
Last week, surge architect and American Enterprise Institute fellow Frederick Kagan wrote an article in the Weekly Standard claiming that “the Government of Iraq has now met 12 out of the original 18 benchmarks set for it.” He adds that “it has made substantial progress on five more, and only one remains truly stalled.”
Since Kagan released his assessment, conservatives have rushed to embrace and promote it. Kagan’s list got distributed to “Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee” last week, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) referred to it in his Townhall.com column, Sens. James Inhofe (R-OK) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) both cited it to reporters, and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) quoted it to Amb. Ryan Crocker yesterday.
But, as CQ’s Josh Rogin points out today, “Kagan’s assessment takes controversial stances, including declaring that ‘there are no safe havens in Iraq for outlaws.’” Though not responding directly to Kagan, on CNN’s The Situation Room yesterday, Michael Ware, who has reported from Iraq since before the U.S. invasion in 2003, also disputed some of Kagan’s claims to progress. “The proof has got to be in the pudding, and right now, that pudding stinks,” said Ware. Watch it:
Ware only discussed a few of the benchmarks, but here’s how his criticisms clash with three of Kagan’s declarations of progress:
| Benchmarks | Kagan | Ware |
| Allocating and spending $10 billion in Iraqi revenue for reconstruction projects, including delivery of essential services, on an equitable basis. | “The government has achieved equity on this point: all groups think they are being discriminated against. Progress in spending the budget has been significant, and the government is working actively to improve it.” | “In this year’s budget, they’ve pledged another $13 billion…but again, who cares? You’re not seeing it on the ground, either because of security reasons or sectarian political reasons where there is no delivery of aid into areas that are deemed hostile to the government, particularly say, in the Sunni west.” |
| Enacting and implementing legislation establishing an Independent High Electoral Commission, provincial elections law, provincial council authorities, and a date for provincial elections. | “Passed by CoR on February 13, 2008; vetoed by Vice President Adel Abdul Mehdi on February 26, 2008; veto withdrawn and law approved by Presidency Council on March 19, 2008. Provincial powers law set October 1, 2008 as date for elections.” |
“After some back room dealing and the bashing of heads together, that legislation for the provincial elections is back on. But we still have to draw up provincial elections law. And the clock is ticking on how to do that. And at the end of the day, if these elections are held, again it’s mainly Iran’s parties who look to benefit. And we’re going to see a de-centralization of security and power to the governors and to the provincial counsels, away from the central government |
| Enacting and implementing legislation on de-Baathification. | “Passed by CoR on January 12, 2008; approved by Presidency Council in February 2008.” | “In essence, the real Baathists that this is supposed to target, the people who this is supposed to bring back into the community. They’re not touched by this legislation. And hello, this is a Shi’a-dominated government, a government comprised of factions — all of them primarily are linked to Iran in one way or another — You really think they’re gonna let the Baathists back? |
Though he seemingly embraced Kagan’s benchmarks while being questioned by Cornyn yesterday, Crocker backed off a bit in his testimony before the House Armed Services today, saying that “we’ve achieved or made significant progress on about a dozen of them.”
According to Center for American Progress Senior Fellow Brian Katulis and analyst Peter Juul, “supporters of the surge are conflating procedural parliamentary movement with genuine political reconciliation.”
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“According to Center for American Progress Senior Fellow Brian Katulis and analyst Peter Juul, “supporters of the surge are conflating procedural parliamentary movement with genuine political reconciliation.””
April 9th, 2008 at 3:53 pmConflation is one of the very few things that these morons do well.
Geez — even something like this isn’t immune from political spin. I guess this will be like everything else — everybody write a report that fits their ideology and then catapult it.
It’s getting harder and harder to know just what is really going on over there, but it’s getting easier to discount everything we hear about it since no source seems to be trustworthy.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:57 pm“According to Center for American Progress Senior Fellow Brian Katulis and analyst Peter Juul, “supporters of the surge are conflating procedural parliamentary movement with genuine political reconciliation.””
Conflation is one of the very few things that these morons do well.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:58 pmKagan lives in a fantasy land of his own making in which PNAC, George W. Bush, the Iraq invasion and his surge are all fabulous ideas. What little that is left of his sanity depends on it.
-AF
April 9th, 2008 at 3:58 pmAndrew Sullivan Is A Fraud
Gosh!!! Are they going to proclaim ‘mission acomplished’ again???!!! Meanwhile in the very fortyfied ‘green zone’: Boommmm!
April 9th, 2008 at 3:59 pmTwo identical comments posted, and both are flagged as “Your comment is awaiting moderation” Any idea why?
April 9th, 2008 at 3:59 pmIt is extremely difficult to feel any sense of hype, have an optimistic attitude over the comments we are winning when this complete immoral event was started, still is and will end OVER LIES. I am still stuck on the fact my country, in my name massacred an innocent war torn country with half the population under 16 years of age, a country with no ability to defend itself and put this on TV for our entertainment.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:59 pmKagan, like Graham, Lieberman, and McCain, all make public arguments for staying in Iraq that don’t stand up to scrutiny, and either appeal to patriotism or some other logical fallacy. This means that their real purpose is to sway the opinions of the electorate, most of whom they know will not take the time to analyze their arguments in depth.
April 9th, 2008 at 4:00 pmSince it is apparent that they can’t come right out and state their real agenda, I keep wondering, what is it? What masters are they serving? I don’t think it’s Bush/Cheney, since he’s on his way out. Someone else is pulling their strings.
Conflation is one of the very few things that these morons do well.
April 9th, 2008 at 4:00 pmKagan the Pagan.
April 9th, 2008 at 4:06 pmThe architect of the Surge can’t be wrong because he’s into this well over his head, or what’s left of it.
I sure as hell wish I had the lipstick concession at AEI. Or the pig contract, either one, and I’m a rich bastard!
April 9th, 2008 at 4:07 pmAnything pertaining to The Weakly SubStandard and/or Frederick Kagan can be pretty much viewed as total propogandist crap .
April 9th, 2008 at 4:11 pmThe “So?” comment said it all!
April 9th, 2008 at 4:12 pmCNN’s Ware Disputes Kagan’s Claim That Iraq Has ‘Met 12 Out Of The Original 18 Benchmarks’
Later on , Kagan was overheard saying to a colleague :”Think if I said I was Elvis , I’d get the deed to Graceland?”
April 9th, 2008 at 4:14 pmPNAC = AEI = LIES to cover “a new Pearl Harbor event.”
April 9th, 2008 at 4:23 pm… John Boehner (R-OH) referred to it in his Townhall.com column…
huh? why haven’t we seen any of boner’s writings here at TP???
April 9th, 2008 at 4:23 pmkaty Says:
April 9th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
… John Boehner (R-OH) referred to it in his Townhall.com column…
huh? why haven’t we seen any of boner’s writings here at TP???
Fairy tales , tanning tips and crying on cue appreciation are best left for other sites ………….
April 9th, 2008 at 4:25 pmI find the red on this map appalling.
April 9th, 2008 at 4:28 pmHow can these states be so stupid?
If we are ever to end talk of questionable benchmarks, warmongering and begin a peace process gramps McCain must not win.
This Dance of Death is nearing it’s end, hopefully. Anyone associated with the planning, building, and waging of this war is being taken for what they are now…deperates trying to put the genie back in the bottle. Their pathetic attempts at spin ARE NOT WORKING ANYMORE. They would all feel better if they just admitted their mistake(s). Really! They would!
April 9th, 2008 at 4:31 pmhad enough. Amen! I check in on that site regularly, and it’s very disturbing. But they only use the ONE most recent poll to set their status for each state, I wish they’d average, you’d get a much better picture for the swing states.
April 9th, 2008 at 4:31 pmFor the South & Midwest Redstates, just rednecks & inbred repglycan infested.
Kagan: another cowardly chickenhawk hiding behind a female soldier’s skirt.
April 9th, 2008 at 4:44 pmhell… let them say thier completing the benchmarks..at some point arent they either:
A) going to keep b.s.-ing “progress” until they claim they are all met at which point we can declare victory and go home
or
B) going to have to stop claiming benchmarks are being met, at which point we can say we tried and its not working, and go home…
April 9th, 2008 at 4:46 pmIf Freddy is correct (humor me for a moment), the Iraqi government now functions well enough that we should now withdraw our troops and return Iraq to the newly democratic Iraqi state. If however the alleged achievement of the benchmarks represents nothing but parliamentary lip service which remains neither implemented nor capable of implementation, the only possible conclusion is that the escalation (don’t call it a surge unless you like being driven like a sheep by Republican talking points) failed to accomplish its purported mission. In that case we are using our troops as cannon fodder in someone else’s civil war and should redeploy now. Either way, time to go.
April 9th, 2008 at 4:51 pmCNN’s Ware Disputes Kagan’s Claim That Iraq Has ‘Met 12 Out Of The Original 18 Benchmarks’
Yeah , we’re “winning in Iraq” ; never heard that one before……..
April 9th, 2008 at 5:01 pmhad enough Says:
I find the red on this map appalling.
How can these states be so stupid?
If we are ever to end talk of questionable benchmarks, warmongering and begin a peace process gramps McCain must not win.
He won’t. He can’t poll above 50% and right now he is running unopposed and the MSM is promoting him as a moderate, a hero and a maverick. Once the people in this country get to know the real John McCain, he has nowhere to go but down.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:07 pmUncle Ho Says:
April 9th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Kagan: another cowardly chickenhawk hiding behind a female soldier’s skirt.
—————————-
Did anyone see Jesse Ventura on Stephen Colbert a couple of days ago call Cheney a chickenhawk? You should have seen Colbert’s face! Priceless! He played dumb and innocently asked Jesse what a chickenhawk was.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:13 pmhad enough Says:
April 9th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
I find the red on this map appalling.
How can these states be so stupid?
I wouldn’t worry about that site. If you want to know what is really going on as far as elections in the states is concerned, visit http://www.dailykos.com/. Kos keeps pretty up to date with what’s happening in the states and he doesn’t just rely on one poll to do it.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:13 pmI’m looking forward to McCain releasing his Tax Records. I believe he is one of the WEALTHIEST Memebers of the Senate, mostly because of a Lucrative Second Marriage. He makes the Clinton’s look Poor by comparison.
The Real John McCain is ” More Wrong Track”.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:15 pmVarious ethnic conflicts are embedded today in Iraq’s political structures and institutions, and it is these political structures and institutions that prevent further progress toward national reconciliation. The mechanism usually used to resolve national identity conflicts—a constitution—was precipitously adopted in Iraq in 2005 and has since served to exacerbate rather than ameliorate Iraq’s national identity conflict. In part this was a function of a poor American political strategy that pushed strongly for a constitution, but it ultimately reflected Iraq’s burgeoning ethno-sectarian conflicts.
We are never going to be able to solve all of their conflicts. Iraq has an identity crisis; three major factions that want different things from the country and the government. Until the three are in total agreement, there will be no resolution.
What works for the US, does not necessarily work for another country. Instead of us dictating they have a constitution ,which didn’t work, getting them all together to find a workable solution would probably be better. Maybe a Bills of Rights would be a good starting point. Condi’s not up to the job for this one. They are going to have to find someone much better than her, to mediate the agreement.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:43 pmThe right wing spin machine is in full rotation on Iraq, it will stay that way until it falls apart before long and the right will just pass it along to the next president.The American people see what is goning on in Iraq and what it has done to our economy here.The Reich Wing can NOT see anything without it`s ROSE COLORED GLASSES on.Our MSM has gotten so tight with the right that they don`t even report what is really going on in Iraq and when they do it is in full spin mode, Main straem media is enabling Bush and his cronyies to do all of this damage to America and they don`t see it because the lenses of the Television cammera`s have a rose colored tint to them.
April 10th, 2008 at 10:17 amIf only Condi saved her dressessohbet instead of cleaning them. But in today’s twisted America, I don’t believe anything would happen if George Bush was cetcaught in bed with a dead girl AND a live boy. And it all procedes with a cheeky grin and a sickening smugness that is as arrogant as it is insultingBedava mp3 indir.
April 11th, 2009 at 1:14 pm