Has America Succeeded in Iraq? That Depends

Is it time for America to declare success in Iraq? That depends on whom you
ask. While the nation has been consumed with its worst financial crisis since
the Great Depression, the war -- the early focal point of the presidential
campaign -- has moved to the back burner.

In May 2007, at the start of the troop "surge" that is credited with quelling
much of the violence in Iraq, Congress established 18 benchmarks that it would
use to determine whether America was succeeding there. Now, a year and a half
later, whether those benchmarks have been met depends on whom you talk to...