RE: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,147639,00.html

"While we've seen progress in some areas, it would not surprise me that the GAO would make this assessment given the difficult congressionally mandated measurement they had to follow," said Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the National Security Council.

An internal White House memorandum, prepared to respond to the GAO findings, says the report will claim the Iraqis have failed on at least 13 benchmarks. It also says the criteria lawmakers set for the report allow no room to report progress, only absolute success or failure.

The memo argues that the GAO will not present a "true picture" of the situation in Iraq because the standards were "designed to lock in failure," according to portions of the document read to the AP by an official who has seen it.

The idea of bench marks are to set a visual pannel in which to justify the work of the surge. It does not represent the entire scope and will not come up on the success radar for those who set those standards, as what is was designed to do.

Those markers were established to set the current administration up for failure, and the portrayal of the military as a useless mechanism in that region so that we can all hate the CINC together. It doesn't matter who is president, Republican or Democrat, markers are set to show failure and not the current result of such actions we see in Iraq.

I know! Let's ask the troops if we are doing any good! Wow! What a concept!

Benchmarks for Legislators!

What a superb idea! We should do it here in the USA!

Let us start a list of benchmarks for the next congressional session that starts next week:

1) Eliminate "sanctuary" states and cities that assist illegal aliens to continue to their illegal presence.

2) Secure our borders with effective and realistic security measures.

3) Eliminate the "anchor baby" loophole.

4) Start repayment to the Social Security "Trust Fund".

5) Establish a "Code of Conduct" for elected and appointed federal officials.

6) Add more here,

I would think that January 31, 2008 would be a resonable date for serious legislaors to enact these measures since they have been debating them for years.

Morning Dale . . . hope the sun's shining out in Iowa. It's doing it's best here in East Yorkshire. Now then, it don't look good for September 15th does it? ~The question is, if the situation is as bad as it looks like the report is going to show, well, what's the President going to do about it? That's going to be the key issue for the next phase of this operation. If the Surge has failed, or isn't doing as well as we'd hoped, what do we fall back on next?

quote:

Originally posted by MSGDaleEBuck:
The idea of bench marks are to set a visual pannel in which to justify the work of the surge. It does not represent the entire scope and will not come up on the success radar for those who set those standards, as what is was designed to do.

Those markers were established to set the current administration up for failure, and the portrayal of the military as a useless mechanism in that region so that we can all hate the CINC together. It doesn't matter who is president, Republican or Democrat, markers are set to show failure and not the current result of such actions we see in Iraq.

I know! Let's ask the troops if we are doing any good! Wow! What a concept!

There's a NYT OpEd from some troops but I don't think you'll approve of their outlook.

quote:

gmost

hahahaha good point

Maybe the next phase will be an attempt to find a political solution to what is essentially a political and not a military problem. Our soldiers are doing the job they were sent out there to do, but it seems to me they are being undermined by a failure of political will on the part of the people they're supposed to be "liberating". Perhaps if the "surge" fails, then "regime change" is in order?

quote:

Originally posted by TPCAT:
Morning Dale . . . hope the sun's shining out in Iowa. It's doing it's best here in East Yorkshire. Now then, it don't look good for September 15th does it? ~The question is, if the situation is as bad as it looks like the report is going to show, well, what's the President going to do about it? That's going to be the key issue for the next phase of this operation. If the Surge has failed, or isn't doing as well as we'd hoped, what do we fall back on next?

Hi ya Jim!

I agree with you in that we will have to come up with another big bright idea, but even at that, I believe the Americans are at the end of their war support ropes.

It's dry here in Iowa today, but we receive 1.5 inches (or 4cm) of rain yesterday causing flooding again. Which brings to mind the flooding of complaints from the far left at the news about the surge!

quote:

Originally posted by MarkAntney:
There's a NYT OpEd from some troops but I don't think you'll approve of their outlook.

I was privy to some of the results and find that the popularity of deployments has met it's all time low. I also found that most of the troops polled were support units as the infantry folks actually endorsed the war as a great training exercise! I'm not sure I would go that far, but is what they trained for all these years and now they get to do what they trained for. As for me, I would go back in a New York Minute if they would let me, but I was against the initial invasion as we all knew the only way to curb sectarian violence is to have some one in office as ruthless as the insurgance.....Saddam? We know through History that that region cannot be Policed by outlanders no matter the effort. Your thoughts?

Are you convinced it is time to leave yet ?



If not, what will it take to convince you ?

If the report is bad If the surge has failed If hell freezes over it doesn't matter as the present administration was just stalling and stalling and will stall some more with some other excuse.

The present administration has a mission and that is to stay in Iraq and occupy that country. We have interfered continually in their countries business. We feed tons of money and arms to who knows where and who knows who in Iraq.

Stay the course is the order of the day, week, month, year and decade. The present administration has no plans at all to leave Iraq regardless what commissions say or reports say or how corrupt the management and policies are in Iraq.

The Democrats better get off their collective butts and do something or they will find themselves out on their butts wondering what happened to them.

The ones getting screwed here are the American People and they better wake up before it is too late.

BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW!

So the AP report is in. We don't need General Petraus' report at all. He is just an afterthought, ask senatraitor Reid, anyway.

Yes by all means bring the troops home now. Also disarm them while they are still there. That'll teach Bush. And to heck with all those "military experts". We have the AP and the democraps to provide us with the truth....

Moron.

quote:

Originally posted by gmost:
Benchmarks for Legislators!

What a superb idea! We should do it here in the USA!

Let us start a list of benchmarks for the next congressional session that starts next week:

1) Eliminate "sanctuary" states and cities that assist illegal aliens to continue to their illegal presence.

2) Secure our borders with effective and realistic security measures.

3) Eliminate the "anchor baby" loophole.

4) Start repayment to the Social Security "Trust Fund".

5) Establish a "Code of Conduct" for elected and appointed federal officials.

6) Add more here,

I would think that January 31, 2008 would be a resonable date for serious legislaors to enact these measures since they have been debating them for years.

Mornin' CMDR, Jim, Buck, Outlaw, et al.

Well said CMDR!!!!

Another case of an "American Patriot" who becomes a "spy" if he can remain anonymous. I am so sick and tired of it being okay to be a leak as long as no one knows who you are! When I was in the Navy my wife had to find out what was going on through teh "grape vine" and then I would neither confirm nor deny her findings.

We have come a long way since the "olden days" of integrity, haven't we?

Many branches but one brotherhood!

quote:

Originally posted by helez:
Are you convinced it is time to leave yet ?



If not, what will it take to convince you ?

'Mornin, Sir!

I'm glad to see you haven't lost your sensitive touch

quote:

Originally posted by ltcbj:
So the AP report is in. We don't need General Petraus' report at all. He is just an afterthought, ask senatraitor Reid, anyway.

Yes by all means bring the troops home now. Also disarm them while they are still there. That'll teach Bush. And to heck with all those "military experts". We have the AP and the democraps to provide us with the truth....

Moron.

Many branches but one brotherhood!

quote:

Originally posted by MTCRetired:
We have come a long way since the "olden days" of integrity, haven't we?

Many branches but one brotherhood!

.....got that right Chief! Classifed means it can be broadcasted; Secret means it can be broadcasted by whisper; and Top Secret means that only the AP can publish it

MSDaleEBuck;
I concur with your statement. I have been saying the same thing for the past few years. Speaking from the SF side of the house the Teams are getting hands on training that they have longed for for many years. Many have volunteered to return for extra tours. For the majority of troops serving over there that have a same thing everyday type mission are the ones bored and complain. Once combat leadership turns into stateside leadership, well you know what follows.

quote:

Originally posted by Duster6:
MSDaleEBuck;
I concur with your statement. I have been saying the same thing for the past few years. Speaking from the SF side of the house the Teams are getting hands on training that they have longed for for many years. Many have volunteered to return for extra tours. For the majority of troops serving over there that have a same thing everyday type mission are the ones bored and complain. Once combat leadership turns into stateside leadership, well you know what follows.

Morning Duster, good insight.

Many branches but one brotherhood!

quote:

Originally posted by ltcbj:
So the AP report is in. We don't need General Petraus' report at all. He is just an afterthought, ask senatraitor Reid, anyway.

Yes by all means bring the troops home now. Also disarm them while they are still there. That'll teach Bush. And to heck with all those "military experts". We have the AP and the democraps to provide us with the truth....

Moron.

No!, it is way past teaching Bush anything. What has to be done has to be done without him. Do you really think he has America in mind? No, he has his own reputation in mind and if he can just hold on long enough it all becomes someone elses problem and he can then sit back and blame them for screwing up his poor misguided plans and policies.

Save American lives and "Bring the troops home now"

Regardless of the surge or the present Iraqi government, it is time to leave. Read the history of this operation during the last 4 plus years and it is apparent the US Military achieved their goal, but the US elected and appointed administration F @#$% this up. But US Forces can't leave because Haliburton and the other civilian contractors (65,000) in total would not have any security and these American companies would belly up along with the Defense contractors, at the end of the day it's all about oil and money. I know I will draw fire over this, but at this point in this old soldier's life I don't give a D@&.