Iraqi Leaders Identify “Political Metrics”
The US and Washington awaits General Petraeus’ report. A few days ago I sketched out 13 “measures of effectiveness” General Petraeus might consider.
Today Iraq’s leaders announced that they had “reached consensus” on key measures (benchmarks) they regard as “vital” to national reconciliation.
The Reuters story notes this is good news for Iraqis — good political news. It is good political news. I doubt this will deflect the latest defeatist meme, ie, “the military war is going well but we’re losing the political war.”
From Reuters:
Iraq’s top Shi’ite, Sunni Arab and Kurdish political leaders announced on Sunday they had reached consensus on some key measures seen as vital to fostering national reconciliation.
The agreement by the five leaders was the most significant political development in Iraq for months and was immediately welcomed by the United States, which hopes such moves will ease sectarian violence that has killed tens of thousands…
Prime Minister Maliki participated in the discussions. The other participants were “President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd; Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi; Shi’ite Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi, and Masoud Barzani, president of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.”
Reuters says the leaders agreed the following were necessary to achieve reconciliation:
…legislation that would ease curbs on former members of Saddam Hussein’s Baath party joining the civil service and military.
Consensus was also reached on a law governing provincial powers as well as setting up a mechanism to release some detainees held without charge…
…the leaders also endorsed a draft oil law, which has already been agreed by the cabinet but has not yet gone to parliament.
Read the entire report.
Web Reconnaissance for 08/27/2007 A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day…so check back often.
Trackback by The Thunder Run — 8/27/2007 @ 9:28 am
Just maybe getting out of town helped.
Comment by davod — 8/27/2007 @ 10:47 am
so check back often.
Comment by 租車 — 8/31/2007 @ 3:49 am
Creating a representative democracy in a nation with virtually zero history in the field is not a task that lends itself to PERT charts and milestone schedules. Neither does winning a COIN conflict or even winning a conventional war. Much of what needs to happens depends on what competing factions do - a matter out of your control. One will certainly fail were success was assumed and vice versa. Maliki is correct. Levin and Clinton should tend their own fields and let him tend his. I personally dislike Maliki, but I am not Iraqi and I didn’t have a vote. I did have a vote in New York and I voted against Hillary.
Comment by arch — 9/3/2007 @ 10:25 am