Iraq meets 15 out of 18 political benchmarks

Real progress is being seen in Iraq, even as Nancy Pelosi & company do their best to downplay and discount it.

Political Progress Has Accompanied Increased Security in Iraq

[...] When Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker first reported on the results of the surge a year ago this past week, top congressional figures were quick to point out that the Iraqi government had satisfied only three of the 18 benchmarks set up as barometers for progress.

[...]

But the White House is now reporting that 15 of the 18 benchmarks set up to measure the Iraqi government’s effectiveness have been satisfied.

A critical turning point may have been reached in February of this year when the central government passed three pieces of legislation simultaneously: the Provisional Powers Law, the Amnesty Law and a national budget.

While political progress remains uneven, it is not non-existent, according to U.S. State Department reports and recent congressional testimony. The remaining unmet benchmarks concern the disarmament of militias and the distribution of oil revenue.

But the legislative measures that have come to fruition, especially in the past few months, demonstrate that Iraq’s government is in fact taking better advantage of the improved security climate, top administration officials claim. [...]

Read the rest for more details of how things are improving. You won't hear about it in the MSM, they are too busy trying to smear McCain and Palin.