GAO: U.S. hasn't taken advantage of Iraq's drop in violence
inmytree
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20071030/wl_mcclatchy/20071030bcusiraqgao_attn_national_foreign_editors_ytop
GAO: U.S. hasn't taken advantage of Iraq's drop in violence
By Jonathan S. Landay, McClatchy NewspapersTue Oct 30, 6:55 PM ET
WASHINGTON — The U.S. and Iraqi governments have failed to take advantage of a dramatic drop in violence in Iraq , according to a report issued Tuesday by a U.S. watchdog agency, which warned that prospects were waning "for achieving current U.S. security, political and economic goals in Iraq ."
Iraqi leaders have not passed legislation to foster reconciliation among Shiite Muslims, Sunnis and Kurds, and sectarian groups still retain control of ministries and divide Iraqi security forces, according to the Government Accountability Office report.
Moreover, the Bush administration's efforts to stabilize and rebuild Iraq are plagued by weak planning, a lack of coordination with the Iraqi government and among U.S. agencies, and an absence of detailed information on "the current and future costs of U.S. involvement in Iraq ," it said.
"U.S. efforts lack strategies with clear purpose, scope, roles and performance measures," the report said.
The findings raise questions about whether the increase of U.S. troops that began last February will ultimately achieve the goal of giving Iraqi political leaders enough of a respite from violence that that they can work to resolve Iraq's many problems. The report comes as the Democrat-controlled Congress begins weighing Prsident Bush's request for another $196 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan .
The GAO report, delivered to a House of Representatives subcommittee, cited a major drop in the number of enemy attacks on U.S.-led coalition troops and Iraqi security forces.
There were about 3,000 such attacks in September, compared to some 5,300 in June, the report said.
Despite the drop, however, government of Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki has made only "limited progress" toward passing legislation designed to foster national reconciliation, the report said.
None of the most crucial bills have been approved, it said. These include legislation that would ensure the equitable distribution of petroleum revenues and lift a ban on government jobs for Iraqis who were low- and middle-level members of the former ruling Baathist Party .
The report noted some progress in reconciliation at the local level, including in Sunni-dominated Anbar Province .
But at the national level "sectarian factions within the Iraqi government ministries continue to undermine reconciliation efforts" and use their positions "to maintain power," the report said.
Iraqi security forces have grown and are increasingly leading counter-insurgency operations. But they remain divided between sectarian factions, burdened by "a high rate of absenteeism," and dependant on U.S. forces for their logistics, command, and intelligence capabilities.
U.S. efforts to help Iraqi ministries develop the ability to run their affairs are dogged by poor coordination between U.S. agencies and between the U.S. and Iraqi governments, the report said.
"No lead (U.S.) agency provides overall direction and U.S. priorities have been subject to numerous changes," it said. "Without a unified U.S. strategy that clearly articulates agency roles and responsibilities . . . U.S. efforts are less likely to succeed."
It said that despite billions of dollars in U.S. reconstruction funds, the Iraqi electricity and petroleum sectors will require tens of billions more to meet their production goals.
"While U.S. troops have performed courageously under difficult and dangerous circumstances, the continued violence and polarization of Iraqi society as well as the Iraqi government's continued difficulties . . . diminishes the prospects for achieving the current U.S. security, political and economic goals in Iraq ," the report said.
The full GAO report may be read at
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08231t.pdf
GAO: U.S. hasn't taken advantage of Iraq's drop in violence
By Jonathan S. Landay, McClatchy NewspapersTue Oct 30, 6:55 PM ET
WASHINGTON — The U.S. and Iraqi governments have failed to take advantage of a dramatic drop in violence in Iraq , according to a report issued Tuesday by a U.S. watchdog agency, which warned that prospects were waning "for achieving current U.S. security, political and economic goals in Iraq ."
Iraqi leaders have not passed legislation to foster reconciliation among Shiite Muslims, Sunnis and Kurds, and sectarian groups still retain control of ministries and divide Iraqi security forces, according to the Government Accountability Office report.
Moreover, the Bush administration's efforts to stabilize and rebuild Iraq are plagued by weak planning, a lack of coordination with the Iraqi government and among U.S. agencies, and an absence of detailed information on "the current and future costs of U.S. involvement in Iraq ," it said.
"U.S. efforts lack strategies with clear purpose, scope, roles and performance measures," the report said.
The findings raise questions about whether the increase of U.S. troops that began last February will ultimately achieve the goal of giving Iraqi political leaders enough of a respite from violence that that they can work to resolve Iraq's many problems. The report comes as the Democrat-controlled Congress begins weighing Prsident Bush's request for another $196 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan .
The GAO report, delivered to a House of Representatives subcommittee, cited a major drop in the number of enemy attacks on U.S.-led coalition troops and Iraqi security forces.
There were about 3,000 such attacks in September, compared to some 5,300 in June, the report said.
Despite the drop, however, government of Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki has made only "limited progress" toward passing legislation designed to foster national reconciliation, the report said.
None of the most crucial bills have been approved, it said. These include legislation that would ensure the equitable distribution of petroleum revenues and lift a ban on government jobs for Iraqis who were low- and middle-level members of the former ruling Baathist Party .
The report noted some progress in reconciliation at the local level, including in Sunni-dominated Anbar Province .
But at the national level "sectarian factions within the Iraqi government ministries continue to undermine reconciliation efforts" and use their positions "to maintain power," the report said.
Iraqi security forces have grown and are increasingly leading counter-insurgency operations. But they remain divided between sectarian factions, burdened by "a high rate of absenteeism," and dependant on U.S. forces for their logistics, command, and intelligence capabilities.
U.S. efforts to help Iraqi ministries develop the ability to run their affairs are dogged by poor coordination between U.S. agencies and between the U.S. and Iraqi governments, the report said.
"No lead (U.S.) agency provides overall direction and U.S. priorities have been subject to numerous changes," it said. "Without a unified U.S. strategy that clearly articulates agency roles and responsibilities . . . U.S. efforts are less likely to succeed."
It said that despite billions of dollars in U.S. reconstruction funds, the Iraqi electricity and petroleum sectors will require tens of billions more to meet their production goals.
"While U.S. troops have performed courageously under difficult and dangerous circumstances, the continued violence and polarization of Iraqi society as well as the Iraqi government's continued difficulties . . . diminishes the prospects for achieving the current U.S. security, political and economic goals in Iraq ," the report said.
The full GAO report may be read at
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08231t.pdf
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
so why continue...? I'm serious, if they don't want our help, we can't force it on them...
I watched the world news last night and did see some encouraging signs of businesses opening, less death, etc. but its hard for people like you to accept any positives being so against it.
but after all this time and money, we need a timeline to get out.
oh christ, spare me the "people like you" bullshit...this occupation has been going on for years now, years...with no end in sight...and please don't put words in my mouth...I said nothing about a timeline...
the bottom line is this, it's been poorly managed from the start...and this report shows, yet again, it continues to be poorly managed...keep cheerleading...if that makes you feel better...
im not cheerleading. I'm just capable of pointing out positives. I can see positives happening and still want us to leave. get it?
No. Let THEM split it up so their future generation have no one else to blame but their own fucking grand parents. Keep our hands clean of that whole box of shit and get the fuck out.
Hail, Hail!!!
positives...? hooray, somebody reopened a store that was closed due to our occupation...I'm sorry, "people like me" have trouble spinning things like that into a positive...hell, most Iraqis don't have water or electricity...I guess that's a positive, they are saving energy and the next precious resource, water...
and I don't get it...you want us to leave, but not until the "job is done", whatever the heck that means...
I guess I'm just grumpy today...I know you don't really want this thing to go on forever...I do get that part...
yes I think people who are opening stores and starting a new life is a positive thing. im sorry you dont.
when did I say I wanted to stay until the job is done? you must be right, you make up shit when you're grumpy. people like you make me laugh.
Then one can see many more stores and businesses opening for the Iraqis however it appears the US objective it to give the appearance that all is well with our troops while the Iraqi people still get ignored.
Peace
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)
huh? its always a goal to keep military deaths to a minimum. thats a given. the rest you mentioned are goals.
I really dont get what you are saying
Peace
Speaking to our media and how it protrays success in military and civillian deaths are down due to the "surge" and oppurtunity to make marked improvement in Iraqi lives is lost with the title post to this thread.
It appears more importance is being placed on getting the next installment of however much billions to continue this ridiculous occupation.
Peace
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)
I see it both ways. there are positive things going on there from the hell we created. and we should have a time table to remove out troops.
I agree. The 'Surge' is working... deaths are down... businesses are opening... Iraqi Forces are over 350,000... job done... time for our guys to come home.
There needs to be some sort of method to remove our troops... what is Bush thinking with this, 'No timetable nonsense'? Does it mean we are staying there forever or that at some time in the future we are going to pack up in the cover of night an move out of Iraq the same way the Browns moved out of Cleveland?
It is going to require some planning, Mr. President... something you should have done prior to getting my country into this fucking mess. We have a lot of our people and a ton of our shit over there. But, this is what we should expect from G.W.Bush... leave a fucking mess for someone else to deal with, huh?
Hail, Hail!!!
After the invasion I was for staying there and at least trying to fix the mess the US started, but now its obvious that the iraqi gov't don't really want to fix things. They just want us to leave so they can start their civil war/ethnic cleansing.
[edit] however, violent deaths of U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians are down significantly and i think thats great news. Hopefully things will continue to improve. the Iraqis sound like their tired of the bullshit too (many having allied with the US) but the Iraqi gov't is still sucking assand not accomplishing anything.
That's what is going to happen... whether we are there today... next year... 20 years from now. When we leave, they are going to fight. We are arrogant, naive and stupid all at the same time in believing they want to be like us... that they would be as happy as we are if they were like us. That type on America-centric illusion has to cease.
Hail, Hail!!!
again with the "people like you" (ppu) stuff...I love it, when someone does buy what your selling, you pull the "ppu card"...seriously, do you fully read what's written or do you just read a sentence or two, swish it around that noggin of yours, and spit out butterflys and lollipops...
by the way, what did I make up...?