Iraqi Failures Mean No December Troop Return

 It is inexcusable for this news to be presented by the Boston Globe, and not in the committee meetings with Gen. Petraeus himself.  

 Based on the data presented in his written report, the Iraqi military is rapidly regressing and cannot be relied upon to take a more active role in the security of that country.  Considering that this has happened while the surge has been in place, it is difficult to imagine a scenario where it would be corrected in time for the promised troop withdrawals later this year.

 

.. the Petraeus plan, which Bush adopted last week, depends on a sufficient number of capable Iraqi units replacing at least 20,000 US combat troops that are set to return home beginning this month.

 Despite the recent spin, this is no different that the 'as they stand up, we will stand down' rhetoric that has gotten thousands of Americans killed while sending Iraq further into chaos.  Can we expect that the situation has changed during the surge, as an increased U.S. presence in the country has provided the time to improve the internal situation in Iraq?  

 Why, yes it has!

 

The number of Iraqi Army and police battalions considered ready to conduct combat operations without help from the United States has declined from 15 at the beginning of the year to 12 this month, according to data that Petraeus provided to Congress last week.

 

At the same time, Pentagon assessments show that the number of Iraqi battalions considered "not ready" increased from 13 in November 2006 to 43 this past summer.

 Quagmire.