Bush plan to set 'benchmarks' for Iraqis: Report

Washington, Jan 8: US President George W Bush's new Iraqpolicy will include ''benchmarks'' for the Iraqi government to meet toease sectarian violence and stabilize the country, The New York Timesreported.

The newspaper cited senior administration officials yesterday assaying that the goals include steps to draw more Sunnis into the Iraqipolitical process and to finalize a measure on the distribution of oilrevenue.

A plan to ease the Iraqi government's policy toward former BaathParty members was also among the benchmarks, the newspaper reported,citing officials it did not identify by name.

The U S officials insisted that they intended to hold the Iraqisto a realistic timetable for action but did not say what the specificpenalties for failure would be, the newspaper reported.

The White House declined direct comment on the report. ''Thepresident looks forward to speaking to the country this week about theway forward in Iraq,'' spokesman Alex Conant, said.

The New York Times said Bush was expected to refer to thebenchmarks in a speech this week outlining his new Iraq strategy,including plans to send as many as 20,000 additional troops.

Administration officials plan to make the benchmarks public sometime after the address, the report said.

''There will be an approach and a strategy that reflects not onlythe desire for the Iraqis to take more responsibility but the need forthe Iraqis to step up,'' a senior administration official familiar withthe deliberations was quoted as saying. ''This is not an open-endedcommitment. We are putting real specific requirements and expectationson the Iraqi government.'' Administration officials said that by moreclearly defining the goals and by planning to make them public sometime after Bush's address they hope to encourage a sense ofaccountability on the part of the Iraqis, the newspaper reported.

Reuters

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