The Surge Is Working

“Brookings Institute Benchmarks” are a set of goals on the political front similar to the broader benchmarks set for Baghdad by Congress last year. The following 11 benchmarks include establishing provincial election laws, reaching an oil-revenue sharing accord, enacting pension and amnesty laws, passing annual federal budgets, hiring Sunni volunteers into the security forces, holding a fair referendum on the disputed northern oil city of Kirkuk, and purging extremists from government ministries and security forces.

Currently, Iraq scores 5 out of 11. It is also clear that those who assert that its politics are totally broken have not kept up with the news.

Iraqi Civilian Deaths From Violence: Feb. 2004: 900; Feb. 2005: 1,600; Feb. 2006: 2,200; Feb. 2007: 2,700; Feb. 2008: 700

U.S./Other Foreign Troops in Iraq (in thousands): Feb. 2004: 115/24; Feb. 2005: 155/25; Feb. 2006: 133/20; Feb. 2007: 135/14; Feb. 2008: 157/10

U.S. Troop Deaths: Feb. 2004: 21; Feb. 2005: 58; Feb. 2006: 54; Feb. 2007: 81; Feb. 2008: 36

Iraqi Security Forces (in thousands): Feb. 2004: 125; Feb. 2005: 142; Feb. 2006: 232; Feb. 2007: 323; Feb. 2008: 425

Iraqi Security Force Fatalities: Feb. 2004: 65; Feb. 2005: 103; Feb. 2006: 158; Feb. 2007: 150; Feb. 2008: 110

Daily Attacks by Insurgents and Militias: Feb. 2004: 30; Feb. 2005: 80; Feb. 2006: 110; Feb. 2007: 210; Feb. 2008: 65

Joint U.S.-Iraqi Security Stations in Baghdad: Feb. 2004: 0; Feb. 2005: 0; Feb. 2006: 0; Feb. 2007: 15; Feb. 2008: 72

Sunni Volunteers Working With U.S. and Iraqi Forces (in thousands): Feb. 2004: 0; Feb. 2005: 0; Feb. 2006: 0; Feb. 2007: 0; Feb. 2008: 60

Iraqi Civilians Newly Displaced by Violence (in thousands): Feb. 2004: 25; Feb. 2005: 25; Feb. 2006: 15; Feb. 2007: 100; Feb. 2008: 30

Multiple-Fatality Bombings: Feb. 2004: 17; Feb. 2005: 18; Feb. 2006: 39; Feb. 2007: 56; Feb. 2008: 21

Oil Production (in millions of barrels per day; prewar: up to 2.5): Feb. 2004: 2.3; Feb. 2005: 2.1; Feb. 2006: 1.8; Feb. 2007: 2.1; Feb. 2008: 2.4

Household Fuel Supply (in percentage of estimated need): Feb. 2004: 88; Feb. 2005: 84; Feb. 2006: 55; Feb. 2007: 61; Feb. 2008: 64

Iraq's Global Rank for Corruption: Feb. 2004: 113; Feb. 2005: 129; Feb. 2006: 137; Feb. 2007: 160; Feb. 2008: 178

Money Going From Baghdad to Average Iraqi Province (in millions of dollars per year): Feb. 2004: 0; Feb. 2005: 0; Feb. 2006: 25; Feb. 2007: 50; Feb. 2008: 100

Political Progress Achieved (out of 11 "Brookings benchmark" criteria): 2004: 0; Feb. 2005: 0; Feb. 2006: 0; Feb. 2007: 1; Feb. 2008: 5

The forgoing was prepared by Jason Campbell who is a senior research assistant at the Brookings Institution in Washington. Michael O’Hanlon who is a senior fellow at Brookings and Amy Unikewicz, a graphic designer in South Norwalk, Conn.