US Congress given negative assessment on Iraq progress

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The White House declines to comment on specific findings of the report. It insists that progress is being made in Iraq.

White House spokesman Tony snow said, "The standard that is set by the legislation is to assess whether a benchmark has been met. Well, look it's no secret that many of the benchmarks have not been met. What is significant, what is significant is that there is progress toward a great number of them."

So far, Republicans have mostly stood by President George W. Bush on the war.

But in exchange for their support, many Republican members say they want to see substantial progress in Iraq by September or else they would call for a new strategy, including possibly a withdrawal of troops.

In preparation for an expected decision next month on whether to prolong the US troop buildup in Iraq, Bush plans to visit the Pentagon on Friday to hear the views of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

By the middle of September, Bush is to give a detailed accounting of the situation in Iraq.

Editor:Yang Jie