Mr Bu$h gave a radio address yesterday, as Presidents and occupiers of the Oval Office tend to do. In it he spent some time discussing events and the political process in Iraq. Aswat al-Iraq discusses part of the speech this morning.

Baghdad, Aug 19, (VOI) – The Iraqi government did not achieve political process at the national level despite significant success against al-Qaeda in some provinces, particularly in Anbar, U.S. President George W. Bush said in his weekly radio address on Saturday.

"Virtually every city and town in the province now has a mayor and a functioning municipal council. The rule of law is being restored," President Bush said in reference to the Sunni province of Anbar, according to the White House's website.

"Unfortunately, political progress at the national level has not matched the pace of progress at the local level. The Iraqi government in Baghdad has many important measures left to address, such as reforming the de-Baathification laws, organizing provincial elections, and passing a law to formalize the sharing of oil revenues," Bush indicated in his address that the independent news agency Voices of Iraq received a copy of.

"In a democracy, over time national politics reflects local realities. And as reconciliation occurs in local communities across Iraq, it will help create the conditions for reconciliation in Baghdad as well," he added.

On Saturday, leaders of Iraqi political blocs met for the first time in two months to discuss ways to push forward the political process and achieve national reconciliation.

U.S. Ambassador in Baghdad Ryan Crocker and top U.S. Commander in Iraq General David Petraeus are expected to submit a report on the situation in Iraq to the U.S. Congress by September 15, 2007. The report will thoroughly examine the effect of the increase in U.S. troops on the security situation in Iraq.

A reader versed in the history of the country would probably remember that this country, with a 3,500 year old tradition, has long enjoyed mayors and councils in its cities. The sad truth is that it is only in the recent past, since a stable, functioning government was overthrown, that cities became leaderless.

That self-same reader might also recall that the need for a reform of the de-Ba’athification laws is suddenly vital primarily as a result of Mr Bu$h’s own ill-advised and foolish desire to be a “War President” and the actions of his own appointed viceroy, L Paul Bremer.

It is stupefying to hear Mr Bu$h chastise Iraqis for failing to rush forward and undo the poor results of his own childish impulses.

It should also be noted that the “political progress” Mr Bu$h is trumpeting at the national level is attempting to achieve “national reconciliation” without the participation of 20% of the citizens of the country.

Regular readers will be aware of the fact that there is only one measure of “political reconciliation” that Mr Bu$h cares about. It is the oil law, which is invariably described as something that has been crafted as a device that has been crafted to assist Iraqis. Hence its description as “revenue sharing.”

The reality is that it assigns de facto ownership of the oil to a few favored Western Oil companies, and the revenue that is “shared” amounts to approximately 30% of the proceeds of their own oil. A reasonable man could probably understand why the puppet figures are reluctant to pass this law through their Parliament. After they sign away their country’s inheritance they will truly be superfluous and could well follow Ngo Dunh Diem into historical obscurity.