initially, remember, they spoke of "benchmarks" and "accomplishments." as in, things that were done, not still being done. speaking of "progress" allows them to once again move the goalposts, and sustain the argument that we just need six more FUs, or whatever.

AND

Professor Juan Cole notes

Helman: Bush's Stage-Managed Photo Op with Sunni Sheikhs May Spell Trouble in Future

"Perhaps the most telling commentary on the situation today in Iraq is the choice of a remote, heavily fortified US airbase in Anbar province for the President's third visit to Iraq. He was joined by his senior national security officials, all kinds of four-stars, including General Petreus, and Ambassador Crocker. Iraq's senior government officials were summoned from Baghdad, as well; President Bush had the pleasant task of introducing them to some local cooperating Sunni Sheiks. One can imagine that everyone was coached to dutifully smile for the cameras.

Last year, by contrast, when the President visited Iraq he held his meetings in Baghdad's Green Zone, met and sought to encourage, identify with, and thus strengthen Iraq's constitutional government. Democracy was messy, the security situation dire, but still Iraq's was a democratically elected government, ruling over a newly sovereign country, a living expression of the President's vision of spreading democracy and freedom. It thus merited our support.

The visit to Anbar was pure theater.[.]

There are reasons why "reconciliation" at the Federal level has been so hard to achieve. Those benchmark measures would largely serve to restore some of the position that Sunnis have lost and assure them of some cut in the nation's oil wealth. The same fear of Sunni revanchism leads the Shiite federal leadership to view with concern the arming of Sunnis by the US. They know what's coming and will have none of it. From the standpoint of the US, the short-term gain in Anbar has to be weighed against the further distancing of federal reconciliation prospects and additional reliance by the Shiites on the Iranian connection. "Bottom-up," while suggesting something snappy and positive, instead will further confirm Shiite fear of Sunni purposes and reinforce the continuing suspicion that the Shiites will again be abandoned by the US. Wittingly or otherwise, the US reinforces that suspicion through active speculation on changing the leadership or even the nature of Iraq's government.

As far as real US policy is concerned, much of this will make little difference. President Bush continues to demonstrate that he will not budge from Iraq. He does not want his heritage to carry the weight of retreat and defeat, regardless of the lives lost and treasure wasted. He'll leave that to the next president. Profile in courage?

Gerald B. Helman "was United States Ambassador to the European Office of the United Nations from 1979 through 1981."