New US strategy to call for benchmarks for Iraqis (Anyone remember this from before?)

[cyberpj]

This cartoon is from 10/25/06 - the last time they tried using "benchmarks":




So here we go again...
New US strategy to call for benchmarks for Iraqis
Mon Jan 8
WASHINGTON (AFP) - US

President George W. Bush's new Iraq policy will establish a series of goals that the Iraqi government will be expected to meet to try to stabilize the country politically and economically, The New York Times reported on its website.

Citing unnamed senior administration officials, the newspaper said these "benchmarks" will call for drawing more Sunnis into the political process, finalizing a long-delayed measure on the distribution of oil revenue and easing the government's policy toward former Baath Party members.

Without saying what the specific penalties for failing to achieve the goals would be, US officials insisted that they intended to hold the Iraqis to a realistic timetable for action, the report said.

The Americans and Iraqis have agreed on many of the objectives before, only to fall far short, The New York Times pointed out.

Bush is expected to refer to the benchmarks in a much-anticipated speech this week outlining his new Iraq strategy, including plans to send as many as 20,000 additional troops, according to the report.

Administration officials plan to make the benchmarks public sometime after the address, the paper said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070108/wl_afp/usiraqbushpolitics

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

1. And if the benchmarks are not met? ... Thought so.

[cyberpj]

3. Dunno. They were never even published the last time....... nt

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

6. The point is, unless something will "happen" if the benchmarks are not met

(like we stop pouring lives and money into Iraq), it's pointless to announce them.

[cyberpj]

7. Bumped for tonight's pathetic speech... nt

[IndianaGreen]

2. Benchmarks will be followed by the Balanced Scorecard and other business gimmicks

The problem is that these are American goals being imposed on Iraqis as if they were of the same mind as we are. They are not!

[gratuitous]

4. George W. Bush, nation builder, big government advocate

Hmmmm.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

5. Why doesn't Bush admit that he has been a misreable failure

how long can this facade go on?