Just Whose Benchmarks Are These?

Just Whose Benchmarks Are These?


One of the latest news reports posted by Jim Kouri on The Conservative Voice mentions: “The government of Iraq has failed to meet 15 of 18 benchmarks contained in the US Troop Readiness, Veterans Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act of 2007.



Reading further we see the “benchmarks” were “mandated”.



Wait a minute! Didn’t Iraq have an election? Wasn’t there a group of men and women elected to public office in a legally held Iraqi election? Were not all those elected Iraqi? I don’t recall Hillary or Nancy or George or Dick running for any position within the Iraqi legislature. So why is America “mandating” “benchmarks” for a foreign country?



I understand that our army is protecting Iraq until the nation has a viable police force and a workable military defense. As far as Arab political concerns go, it is ridiculous to believe Iraqis will come to any type of American molded political consensus. What should be permitted to evolve from the ashes of the Baath regime is a political legislature that is fully Iraqi.



It is no wonder many Iraqis hold to the “occupier” description when discussing America. I believe if we stayed out of Iraqi politics and let the duly elected government work it out for themselves we’d see more progress. Allowing Nouri al-Maliki to be tagged as a “puppet” of Bush and allowing certain American Senators to spout in the media about America removing Maliki without consulting the Iraqi people who elected him is unconscionable.



One thing has become painfully clear in all this “benchmark” setting. You cannot get resolution at a diplomatic drive through window. It took 14 years for America to write a Constitution that could be agreed upon by 13 separate states, and most of the political representatives in that room shared like goals, like hatreds and like faith. Iraq has 18 separate provinces and it seems, even with like goals, hatreds and faith, it might take Iraq a 14 year span to achieve an agreeable Constitution.



But again, this should not be a Constitution that is agreeable to America. It must be an Iraqi constitution of laws that is intended to govern Iraqi people.



Almost every story I have been reading about Iraq and the pending report from General Patraeus has been spun to make General Patraeus a liar who will only speak administration talking points; while pointing out that no matter how much military progress can be cited, there is little if any political progress.



Again, I would submit the question: “Just whose “benchmarks” are these?”



The American Congress confirmed General Patraeus and agreed on the report; believing there was no possibility of any progress. The report would destroy President Bush. When some reporters in the mainstream media, including the “perky Katie Couric” began speaking of tangible progress, suddenly the report became a “Bush” report, spun by the General to say what the White House said it should say.



Can you say: “Harry Reid is a Democratic scumbag!” five times real fast?



Okay. The Iraqi government did agree to the 18 points in the 2007 Act. Put yourself in Mr. Maliki’s shoes. Do you risk having American support completely removed while al-Qaeda is running roughshod over your nations killing innocents and blowing up historic mosques? The only quality ally Iraq has right now is America and its coalition forces. Every surrounding country is eying Iraq, not as an ally, but as a conquest.



Back to these “benchmarks though. Whose are they? The article calls them U.S. benchmarks. I believe that is wrong. A real diplomatic effort would have meant sitting with the newly elected government of Iraq, asking how we could help them toward their goal of autonomy. Forcing benchmarks and timetables on a government ill prepared for Constitutionalism is not the way to progress.



Heck! Look at all the members of the American Congress that are having trouble with American Constitutional law!



America’s politicians should shut up and let the Iraqi legislature work out its own political solutions.