This widely distributed AP article claims that 11 benchmarks haven't been met according to the just-released GAO report. In reality, the GAO report states that 15 benchmarks haven't been met.
NY Times
Yahoo
TPM Wire
Indeed, the text of the AP article contradicts the content below it:
The study, conducted by the Government Accountability Office, was slightly more upbeat than initially planned. After receiving substantial pushback from the White House, the GAO determined that four benchmarks -- instead of two -- had been partially met.
But GAO stuck with its original contention that only three goals out of the 18 had been achieved. The goals met include establishing joint security stations in Baghdad, ensuring minority rights in the Iraqi legislature and creating support committees for the Baghdad security plan.
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Kossacks, if only 3 out of 18 benchmarks have been met, then how many haven't been met? It's tough math, but I believe that's a big 15, or 84%, that have not been met. Though I didn't go to Journalism School, so I could be wrong.
I recommend that you go take a look at this chart over at TPM, where you can see how truly pathetic the original goals were, and how exponentially sadder it is that we could only achieve 3 of them. (And they're the three easiest, in my view -- establishing committees and setting up stations, and the like.)
Sorry for no body -- I'm at work and this is all I have time to squeak out.