U.S. tries to temper expectations on Iraq progress

[Barrett808]

Source: Reuters

U.S. tries to temper expectations on Iraq progress
By Caren Bohan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A September progress report on the U.S. troop increase in Iraq that President George W. Bush called an important moment for his war strategy is unlikely to be a "pivotal" assessment, officials now say.

Amid unrelenting bloodshed in Iraq and scant signs of progress by the Iraqi government in meeting political benchmarks, the White House sought to temper expectations of a rapid strides resulting from a security crackdown begun at the start of this year.

"I have warned from the very beginning about expecting some sort of magical thing to happen in September," White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters on Wednesday.

"What I would suggest is, rather than it's, sort of, a pivotal moment, it is the first opportunity to be able to take a look at what happens when you've got (the troop increase) up and running fully for a period of months," he added. "It is naive to think, suddenly -- boom -- you snap a finger and you've got an instant change in the situation."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070613/ts_nm/iraq_usa_dc

[Olney Blue]

1. Lies and more lies.

[Solly Mack]

2. LOLOLOL temper the expectation of continued failure

Sort of a failure
Somewhat of a failure
Mostly a failure


Or in Bush-speak

Not the victory expected

[Zenlitened]

3. Well, that's one "Mission Accomplished," for sure.

:crazy:

[louis-t]

4. Hmm, lowering the bar again, eh?

I keep thinking of the Lucy episode where she has to jump through a hoop with a charlie horse in her leg. She keeps motioning for the stagehand to lower the hoop until finally, she just steps through it as it lays on the ground.

[jtrockville]

5. Preparing to beg for just one more 'last' chance already?

[Grandrose]

6. Must be really, really bad news coming!

September not for 2&1/2 months, backtracking now!!! :grr: :kick:

[slowry]

7. Just when I was getting all giddy about a "victory"... n/t

[sendero]

8. It's hard to paint something as a success..

... when it is so clearly and unequivocally a failure.

That won't stop them from trying though.