List of 18 benchmarks for Iraq success

I’m getting dozens of hits daily from people still looking for the list of the “18 benchmarks” for Iraq success, as enumerated in the recently passed Troop Readiness and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, H.R. 2206.

Click here to see the official list.

The news media referred thousands of times to the fact that 18 benchmarks exist. It’s too bad they didn’t bother to tell us what the benchmarks are.

Frank Warner

See also: 12 of the 18 Iraq benchmarks for success have been met.

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Update: It’s 15 of 18 now. Significant progress has been seen in achieving 15 of the 18 benchmarks for Iraq’s success. In July 2008, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad released its report finding that Iraq had not made significant progress only in the areas of benchmarks (iii), (vii) and (xi).

Those three poor marks indicate Iraq’s failure to enact and implement laws on fairly dividing up Iraq’s oil revenue; failure to disarm all militias and insurgent groups; and failure to improved the professionalism and even-handedness of the Iraqi police.

But in every other category, Iraq was making progress, as of May 2008, when the review was made. In July 2008, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad released its report finding that Iraq had not made significant progress only in the areas of benchmarks (iii), (vii) and (xi).

Those three poor marks indicate Iraq’s failure to enact and implement laws on fairly dividing up Iraq’s oil revenue; failure to disarm all militias and insurgent groups; and failure to improved the professionalism and even-handedness of the Iraqi police.

But in every other category, Iraq was making progress.

Comments

[BJCefola]

It's funny how little debate or discussion there was over what the benchmarks should actually be, way too much focus on the political battle.

On a related note, what version of the bill on THOMAS is definitive? The public print matches the first house version, but the enrolled version is different.

[Frank Warner]

Let me check ... I can't just give you a link because Thomas lets its links expire ...

Thanks for asking!

Reviewing the Library of Congress “Thomas” listing of bills, I found the FINAL final version of the bill, H.R. 2206, that includes the 18 benchmarks.

The bill, now law, is the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007 (Enrolled as Agreed to or Passed by Both House and Senate)[H.R.2206.ENR].

The act actually calls the benchmarks “benchmarks” in final form. Here they are, from Section 1314(b)(1)(a), from “i” to “xviii.”

(A) The United States strategy in Iraq, hereafter, shall be conditioned on the Iraqi government meeting benchmarks, as told to members of Congress by the President, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and reflected in the Iraqi Government's commitments to the United States, and to the international community, including:

(i) Forming a Constitutional Review Committee and then completing the constitutional review.

(ii) Enacting and implementing legislation on de-Baathification.

(iii) Enacting and implementing legislation to ensure the equitable distribution of hydrocarbon resources of the people of Iraq without regard to the sect or ethnicity of recipients, and enacting and implementing legislation to ensure that the energy resources of Iraq benefit Sunni Arabs, Shia Arabs, Kurds, and other Iraqi citizens in an equitable manner.

(iv) Enacting and implementing legislation on procedures to form semi-autonomous regions.

(v) Enacting and implementing legislation establishing an Independent High Electoral Commission, provincial elections law, provincial council authorities, and a date for provincial elections.

(vi) Enacting and implementing legislation addressing amnesty.

(vii) Enacting and implementing legislation establishing a strong militia disarmament program to ensure that such security forces are accountable only to the central government and loyal to the Constitution of Iraq.

(viii) Establishing supporting political, media, economic, and services committees in support of the Baghdad Security Plan.

(ix) Providing three trained and ready Iraqi brigades to support Baghdad operations.

(x) Providing Iraqi commanders with all authorities to execute this plan and to make tactical and operational decisions, in consultation with U.S commanders, without political intervention, to include the authority to pursue all extremists, including Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias.

(xi) Ensuring that the Iraqi Security Forces are providing even handed enforcement of the law.

(xii) Ensuring that, according to President Bush, Prime Minister Maliki said `the Baghdad security plan will not provide a safe haven for any outlaws, regardless of [their] sectarian or political affiliation'.

(xiii) Reducing the level of sectarian violence in Iraq and eliminating militia control of local security.

(xiv) Establishing all of the planned joint security stations in neighborhoods across Baghdad.

(xv) Increasing the number of Iraqi security forces units capable of operating independently.

(xvi) Ensuring that the rights of minority political parties in the Iraqi legislature are protected.

(xvii) Allocating and spending $10 billion in Iraqi revenues for reconstruction projects, including delivery of essential services, on an equitable basis.

(xviii) Ensuring that Iraq's political authorities are not undermining or making false accusations against members of the Iraqi Security Forces.

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