WHAT'S WRONG WITH FRED KAGAN?

Kagan, one of the architects of the Surge (although we've been told a different story about who came up with the idea), criticizes the GAO report in The Weekly Standard because, apparently, "we don't need no stinkin' benchmarks." Instead we need a measurement of the progress toward the benchmarks, NOT whether the benchmarks have been met or not.

Kagan goes on to criticize the failure of the GAO to take into account the Anbar Awakening but many, including the U.S. military, have noted that it is NOT a model for other parts of Iraq and is NOT an indication that the Sunnis are reconciled to having U.S. forces in Iraq or the central government.

Finally, Kagan criticizes the report for failing to see that sectarian violence has been reduced by the Surge. Unfortunately, there's no evidence for Kagan's claim, at least as far as Reuters, the AP, the LA Times and the NY Times can tell.