jhc was right again- you prots really are lazy. :)

Basically, it's a mixed bag. There is progress being made, politically and economically. Progress in training the Iraqi security forces is ongoing. The insurgency has not been able to stop political process, though they've had some success at disrupting the reconstruction of important infrastructure, notably power and oil production.

The assertion that the insurgency is not having an effect on the daily lives of Iraqis is not supported by the report. In areas affected by the insurgency ( four provinces out of eighteen), they are succeeding in creating a climate in which Iraqis don't feel safe, and they are affecting the political and economic situation.

To me, the key thing is that they're still is no reason to believe that the insurgency will be dealt with anytime soon. Even accepting the fact that the Iraqis are getting more capable, security-wise, I don't see how they're going to be more capable than we are in dealing with the violence. (The report says the insurgency is made up of three basic factions- foreign fighters, Sunni obstructionists, and Saddam loyalists. Report also says that the Saddam loyalists might be the hardest to deal with in the long term, which seems pretty absurd. I'd think that they'll eventually just wither away, and probably pretty soon. The Sunni obstructionists could conceivably be mollified if the political process really takes root. I don't know how the foreign fighters are going to be dealt with.)

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

Report also says that the Saddam loyalists might be the hardest to deal with in the long term, which seems pretty absurd. I'd think that they'll eventually just wither away, and probably pretty soon. The Sunni obstructionists could conceivably be mollified if the political process really takes root. I don't know how the foreign fighters are going to be dealt with.)

I think with the Saddam loyalists and Sunni obstructionists gone, the foreign fighters will have no place to hide/no local support.

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Maybe. Let's hope.

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"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world."

I present you with, the Overview:

The U.S. Government continues to place emphasis on developing and using metrics that assist the U.S. Government, its Coalition partners, and the Government of Iraq in assessing progress toward achieving objectives in Iraq. The report reflects measures and indicators currently in use for this purpose.

Building from the previous report, this report provides measurable trends indicating progress toward meeting the objectives of the strategy for Iraq. The broad purpose of the strategy is to assist in creating an Iraq that is at peace with its neighbors, is an ally in the war on terror, has a representative government that respects the human rights of all Iraqis, and has security forces that can maintain domestic order and deny a safe haven for terrorists in Iraq. To achieve this
end, strategic objectives include: defeating the terrorists and neutralizing the insurgency;
transitioning Iraq to security self-reliance; helping Iraq to forge a national compact for democratic government; helping Iraq to build government capacity, provide essential services, strengthen its economy, and strengthen the rule of law; increasing international support for Iraq; and increasing public understanding of Coalition efforts and public isolation of the insurgents.

Trends since the last report include the following:

• Political Stability. A key indicator of the development of constitutional and democratic government in Iraq is the continued progress of the political process despite numerous challenges. On August 22, a draft constitution was delivered to the Transitional National
Assembly (TNA) by the constitutional drafting committee, meeting the deadline as extended by the TNA; on September 18, the draft constitution was read to the TNA; and the constitutional referendum remains on schedule for October 15. By numerous measures, Iraqi participation in the political process continues to grow. With reports of nearly a million new voters registered since the January election, the greatest growth in new registrants is among the Sunni Arab population. Recent polls indicate that the
overwhelming majority of the Iraqis - including Sunnis - intend to vote in the constitutional referendum.

• Economic Activity. Economic indicators provide cause for both optimism and concern. Iraq continued its reintegration into the world economy, holding its first “Article IV” consultations on economic development and reform with the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) in 25 years. The IMF commended the Government of Iraq for maintaining a degree of macroeconomic stability under difficult circumstances and initiating structural reforms. It noted grounds for optimism, but stressed that much work remains to fully
transform Iraq into a market economy. Iraq’s economy continues to grow. The World Bank projects a real growth rate in the Iraqi Gross Domestic Product of 3.7% for 2005. The growth of the private sector continues. Nonetheless, challenges remain in delivering essential services. During this reporting period, Iraqi production of oil and essential
electricity remained stable, although below goals. Electricity briefly exceeded summertime goals, but several targeted infrastructure attacks adversely affected overall electrical and oil production.

• The Security Environment. One noteworthy strategic indicator of progress in the security environment is the continued inability of insurgents to derail the political process and timelines. This is a key objective they are failing to achieve. As expected, there has been an increase in the average number of insurgent attacks during the period leading to the constitutional referendum. Insurgent attacks remain concentrated in four of Iraq’s eighteen provinces; half of the Iraqi population lives in areas that experience only six
percent of all attacks. Six provinces reported a statistically insignificant number of attacks based on population size. Although about 80% of all attacks are directed against Coalition Forces, about 80% of all casualties are suffered by the Iraqi population.

• Iraqi Security Forces. Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior forces continue to progress in their ability to take ownership of Iraqi security. This progress has come in a relatively short period of time, in the face of a brutal insurgency. Key measures of progress include:
o A continued increase in the number of Iraqi units able to take the lead in combat operations against the insurgency. There are now 88 Iraqi Army and
special operations battalions conducting combat operations against the enemy – an increase of nine since the July report. Of the 88 operational units, 36 are assessed as being “in the lead” or fully independent – a 50% increase over units at
these levels of readiness in the July report. There are 28 Special Police Force battalions capable of combat operations – an increase of 13 since the last report.
o Progress of Iraqi units in assuming responsibility for the battle space. Since the last report, Iraqi forces have taken responsibility for security in several areas
of Iraq and now have the lead in one Iraqi province, roughly 87 square miles of Baghdad and over 450 square miles in other provinces. o A continued increase in the number of units and individuals trained, equipped, and formed into operational status. More than 87,000 soldiers, sailors, and airmen have now been trained and equipped – an increase of 10,000 since the last report. A total of 68,800 police have been trained and equipped – an increase of 5,500 since the last reporting period. These work alongside 35,500 other Ministry of Interior forces. Overall, this represents a 12% increase in Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior forces trained and equipped for counterinsurgency operations since July 2005.