Report: Surge plan to include 'goals' for Iraqi government

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 — President Bush’s new Iraq policy will establish a series of goals that the Iraqi government will be expected to meet to try to ease sectarian tensions and stabilize the country politically and economically, senior administration officials said Sunday.

Among these “benchmarks” are steps that would draw more Sunnis into the political process, finalize a long-delayed measure on the distribution of oil revenue and ease the government’s policy toward former Baath Party members, the officials said.

As the policy is being debated in Washington, the new American operational commander in Iraq said Sunday that his plan was to send additional American troops, expected to be part of the policy change, into Baghdad’s toughest neighborhoods, and that under the new strategy it may take another “two or three years” to gain the upper hand in the war.

Without saying what the specific penalties for failing to achieve the goals would be, American officials insisted that they intended to hold the Iraqis to a realistic timetable for action, but the Americans and Iraqis have agreed on many of the objectives before, only to fall considerably short.

Read the rest at the NY Times

Related Link:
Odierno: Iraqi forces big part of Baghdad clear and hold; envisions 'retreat to outskirts' in 3-4 months

Related Link:
Maliki Announces New Security Plan

Related Link:
Sources: Iraqi-U.S. assault on Baghdad neighborhoods to start

Related Link:
Odierno: 2 to 3 years needed to reach U.S. goals

Related Link:
Top Marine Conway: Give troops more time, 'casualties are not that great'

Related Link:
Gates: U.S. 'enduring presence' in Mid-East, 'will be here for a long time'

Related Link:
Selective Service to test 'draft machinery'

Related Link:
Report: Bush to Expand Size of Military

Related Link:
'Senior Administration Official': Surge may last 'year or longer'

Related Link:
General Cody: Military needs more troops or increased use of Guard, Reserves

Related Link:
General Schoomaker: Army near breaking point, need thousands more troops plus bigger call up of reserves

Related Link:
Iraq P.M. rejects timetable, says driven by U.S. election; criticizes Sadr City raid

Related Link:
U.S.: Iraq to develop goals timeline by end of year; to control own security by March 2008