Going out on a limb. . .

And predicting that the so-called “Petraeus Report” to be released next month will claim that progress is being made in Iraq, that the President’s “new strategy” in Iraq is really starting to work, and we need to continue to support the President’s plan for victory for another six to 12 months.

Just a hunch I got after reading this, in the LA Times today:

Despite Bush’s repeated statements that the report will reflect evaluations by Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, administration officials said it would actually be written by the White House, with inputs from officials throughout the government.

Call me cynical, but there it is:

During internal White House discussion of a July interim report, some officials urged the administration to claim progress in policy areas such as legislation to divvy up Iraq’s oil revenue, even though no final agreement had been reached. Others argued that such assertions would be disingenuous.

“There were some in the drafting of the report that said, ‘Well, we can claim progress,’ ” the administration official said. “There were others who said: ‘Wait a second. Sure we can claim progress, but it’s not credible to . . . just neglect the fact that it’s had no effect on the ground.’ “

Petreaus is going to continue to be a beard for “Commander Guy” Bush on Iraq, pure and simple.