Standing Up Posted by Ilan Goldenberg

I thought this was a pretty interesting and unnoticed story.  Basically, the idea of a timeline of handing security over to the Government seems to have basically disappeared. Back in January of 2007, when President Bush announced the surge, he stated that by November of 2007 the Government of Iraq would be responsible for all 18 provinces. 

By December, the Pentagon's report to Congress had shifted the goal posts to the end of 2008:

“The Coalition continues to transfer responsibility for security to the GoI. Karbala Province transitioned to Provincial Iraqi Control (PIC) on October 29, 2007, bringing the total number of provinces for which the Government of Iraq (GoI) has lead security responsibility to eight out of eighteen provinces. The Ministerial Committee for National Security has approved the transfer of Basrah Province to PIC in December 2007. All remaining provinces are expected to transition in 2008.”

The newest quarterly report, issued at the end of March, eliminates the goal posts altogether:

“In support of the U.S. Government strategic objective to strengthen the Iraqi forces and transition primary security responsibility to the GoI, Basrah Province transitioned to Provincial Iraqi Control (PIC) on December 16, 2007, bringing the total number of provinces for which the GoI has lead security responsibility to nine of 18 provinces.”

So, when is the Government of Iraq going to take responsibility?

Comments

[Don Bacon]

How about Anbar Province?

General: Anbar Ready for Handover
Jan 10, 2008 By ROBERT BURNS

WASHINGTON (AP) - Iraq's western province of Anbar, hotbed of the Sunni Arab insurgency for the first four years of the war, will be returned to Iraqi control in March, a senior U.S. general said Thursday.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8U3B17O0&show_article=1

The March 2008 Report to Congress, however, indicates that Anbar Province, supposedly a surge-success because of The Awakening, is only "Partially Ready For Transition."