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Born at the Crest of the Empire

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Another downbeat assessment of Iraq. This time from the GAO.

It's been said many times before, although not often with the authority of the GAO, that Iraq is failing.
WASHINGTON - Iraq's political process has sharpened the country's sectarian divisions, polarized relations between its ethnic and religious groups, and weakened its sense of national identity, the Government Accountability Office said Monday.

In spite of a sharp increase in Sunni-Shiite violence, however, attacks on U.S.-led coalition forces are still the primary source of bloodshed in Iraq, the report found. It was the latest in a series of recent grim assessments of conditions in Iraq.

But the report was unusual in its sweep, relying on a series of other government studies, some of them previously unpublicized, to touch on issues from violence and politics to electricity production. Published on the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the GAO report was downbeat in its conclusions - underscoring how Iraq's deteriorating security situation threatens the Bush administration's goal of a stable and democratic regime in Baghdad.

"Despite coalition efforts and the efforts of the newly formed Iraqi government, insurgents continue to demonstrate the ability to recruit new fighters, supply themselves, and attack coalition security forces," the report says. "The deteriorating conditions threaten continued progress in U.S. and other international efforts to assist Iraq in the political and economic areas."

(Do you ever wonder if Bush regrets that grandstanding political move of changing the General Accounting Office to the awkwardly named General Accountability Office? (Remember that at one time this administration claimed it was going to restore accountability.))

4 Comments:

  • How many different people or Departments have to declare his policy a failure before he takes another look at making changes to his policy?

    I guess it's too late now. His stubborness has caused the death of American troops.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 12:45 AM  

  • I think that is a GREAT question.

    You know, looking back before politics, you don't drive a couple businesses into the ground without ignoring quite a bit of advice.

    I'm just glad that the Texas governorship is a relatively weak political post.

    Mike

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 6:14 AM  

  • So the purple fingers and the democractic elections have actually sharpened sectarian divisions.

    I guess the "Democracy Project" isn't going so well.

    By Blogger Reality-Based Educator, at 5:51 PM  

  • The really frightening thing is that the next set of elections will be far worse in this regard. Sadr will take the Shia majority, the moderates will all be run out.

    Mike

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 7:29 PM  

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