George Bush is getting tough on incompetence and corruption...in Iraq. In what appears to be an admission that Iraq has become worse than ever, Bush is threatening to impose "penalties" on the Iraq government if they don't meet specific "deadlines" in stopping the violence. These "penalties" will include the removal of ministers deemed "incompetent" or "corrupt."

From the Telegrah:

President George W Bush met his top generals to discuss the deteriorating situation in Iraq as it was reported that America is considering punishing Baghdad if it fails to meet deadlines to stop the violence.

The new policy would mark a dramatic shift from the previous position that progress could only be determined by the "situation on the ground".

Instead benchmarks would be set covering progress in the Iraqi military, police and economy that if missed would result in the imposition of "penalties" by Washington.

These would include "changes in military strategy", which could mean troop cuts or redeployment within Iraq, or the removal of ministers deemed incompetent or corrupt.

The revelation comes after Mr Bush indicated on Saturday that the US, which suffered one of its deadliest months in Iraq since the invasion in March 2003, intended to change its tactics.

So, Bush is finally realizing he is failing in Iraq? My question is does his threat include removing himself and his Cabinet for their incompetence and penalizing Halliburton and the Republican Congress for their corruption? Meanwhile, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, the British Prime Minister's former envoy to Iraq, described the situation in Iraq as a "mess" and urged ministers to admit their failure (from the same article):

In an interview on Sky News, he warned of violence "for many years to come" in the country.

Indicating that America and Britain might now have to deal with Iran and Syria, he cast doubt on the ability of the Iraqi forces to replace coalition troops. "They are not going to take over the rest of the country without several parts of Iraq being full of violence," he said...

Can you say "quagmire?" Remember, this is exactly what many Democrats predicted would happen.