That’s what we were told, that we would know by September whether the “surge” was working. It’s only June, but the Bush Administration is mismanaging those expectations, and, therefore, it’s time for the left blogzome to stand up and remind people what we were promised with this surge. General Petraeus in the WaPo:

Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, his diplomatic counterpart in Baghdad, said a key report they will deliver to Washington in September will include what Crocker called “an assessment of what the consequences might be if we pursue other directions.” Noting the “unhelpful roles” being played by Iran and Syria in Iraq, Crocker said: “We’ve got to consider what could happen.”

Comments by Petraeus on “Fox News Sunday” and Crocker on NBC’s “Meet the Press” were an indication of the administration’s evolving strategy for confronting rising congressional demands to begin planning troop withdrawals. In addition to warning about the possible regional consequences of withdrawal, both men emphasized a “mixed” picture on the ground, citing successes while acknowledging the difficulty of the task ahead.

Asserting steady, albeit slow, military and political progress, Petraeus said that the “many, many challenges” would not be resolved “in a year or even two years.” Similar counterinsurgency operations, he said, citing Britain’s experience in Northern Ireland, “have gone at least nine or 10 years.” He said he and Crocker would make “some recommendations on the way ahead” to Congress, and that it was realistic to assume “some form of long-term security arrangement” with Iraq.

The truth? If there is any hope of succeeding in Iraq it will take ten years and more. That is not what was said at the beginning of this year when Bush decided to “surge” the force levels in Iraq. He claimed that an acceleration of the war would reduce terrorist and insurgent activities, but the results have been the opposite of what Mr. Bush and his people predicted. Now expectations are being mismanaged again by the Bushies.

I’m personally surprised that General Petraeus is involved in this shifting of the goalposts. I suppose he might say that he never thought a surge would produce quick short-term results, but if that is the case he needs to say now that he never told us to expect strong improvements in the situation by September. He needs to do that to save what once was a good reputation.