The administration is once again moving the goal posts with respect to Iraq. Uh... we aren't that concerned about political stability anymore.
Instead, administration officials say they are focusing their immediate efforts on several more limited but achievable goals in the hope of convincing Iraqis, foreign governments and Americans that progress is being made toward the political breakthroughs that the military campaign of the past 10 months was supposed to promote.
What is Bush pressuring the Iraqis for instead? Well, there's money -- "passage of a $48 billion Iraqi budget, something the Iraqis say they are on their way to doing anyway." There's the hoped-for Iraqi request for the UN mandate which will allow the US to stay in Iraq indefinitely. And pulling competent Baathists back into government jobs.
There have been signs that American influence over Iraqi politics is dwindling after the recent improvements in security — which remain incomplete, as shown by a deadly bombing Friday in Baghdad. While Bush officials once said they aimed to secure “reconciliation” among Iraq’s deeply divided religious, ethnic and sectarian groups, some officials now refer to their goal as “accommodation.”
Congress has noticed that the original benchmarks set by the administration have not been met, for the most part. Of the latest set of goals, only the reconciliation with the Baathists is anywhere near achievable. Today's New York Times report ends with this probably unintended bit of black humor: "American officials in Baghdad appear to understand the limitations they face and are focusing on pragmatic goals like helping the Iraqi government spend the money in its budget." One gets the feeling that the administration has finally admitted it has competence in only one area, and that's spending money.
Meanwhile, Karen DeYoung, writing in the Washington Post, reports that "a White House assessment of the war in Afghanistan has concluded that wide-ranging strategic goals that the Bush administration set for 2007 have not been met, even as U.S. and NATO forces have scored significant combat successes against resurgent Taliban fighters, according to U.S. officials.
Senior White House officials privately express pessimism about Afghanistan. There is anxiety over the current upheaval in neighboring Pakistan, where both the Taliban and al-Qaeda maintain headquarters, logistical support and training camps along the Afghan border. But "in all honesty, I think it is too early to tell right now" whether political turmoil will undermine what U.S. officials already consider lackluster counterinsurgency efforts by Pakistani forces, the senior administration official said.
At the moment, several officials said, their concern is focused far more on the domestic situation in Afghanistan, where increasing numbers are losing faith in Karzai's government in Kabul.
See? Everything is going very well. And if you don't believe it is, check with Dana Perino about "positive indicators."
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