The Fix Is In
Posted on | August 15, 2007
General Petraeus’s report on the Quest for the Magic Pony is due next month, as he allegedly will evaluate the success of President Bush’s latest escalation in Iraq. You have to read into the second page of the Los Angeles Times’ story, however, to discover that
Despite Bush’s repeated statements that the report will reflect evaluations by Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, administration officials said it would actually be written by the White House, with inputs from officials throughout the government.
And though Petraeus and Crocker will present their recommendations on Capitol Hill, legislation passed by Congress leaves it to the president to decide how to interpret the report’s data.
The senior administration official said the process had created “uncomfortable positions” for the White House because of debates over what constitutes “satisfactory progress.”
During internal White House discussion of a July interim report, some officials urged the administration to claim progress in policy areas such as legislation to divvy up Iraq’s oil revenue, even though no final agreement had been reached. Others argued that such assertions would be disingenuous.
I wonder how rousing a success the White House will have the General declare?
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