Is everyone ready to surge ahead in Iraq with full confidence in our future success? No? You still have lingering doubts despite the report from Gen. David Petraeus?

Doubters have plenty of reasons to question the general’s portrayal of the situation.

His report to Congress Monday was billed as an unbiased assessment, the final word in how things are going. Our local representative Tim Walberg said in a press release Monday, “General Petraeus is a well-respected, trusted military leader confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate to lead the 168,000 American soldiers in Iraq, and he provided a credible and unvarnished front line account of the new strategy in Iraq.”

What Rep. Walberg doesn’t mention is that Gen. Petraeus has provided rosy accounts of progress for four years—reports that have turned out to be inaccurate. The general’s assessments over the years have been disputed not only by facts, but by other military personnel.

Claims of decreasing violence in the report this week have been questioned by experts both inside and outside the government. The report is described  as cherry-picking positive features while ignoring negative trends.

Even the assessment techniques have been called into question. An intelligence official was quoted in the Washington Post as saying, “If a bullet went through the back of the head, it’s sectarian. If it went through the front, it’s criminal.” Similarly, the Pentagon has admitted that deaths from the more than 2,600 car bombings are not included in their statistics. The overall death toll in Iraq has actually increased.

Fact checks on the Petraeus report show again and again how statistics have been twisted and goals changed in order to meet the objectives of the Bush administration.

The general stated it’s possible that 30,000 troops may be able to return home in the spring. Fact-twisting to bring home troops will prove popular with Americans back home, but don’t be fooled. The surge sent about 30,000 troops to Iraq on a temporary mission. They certainly better be back soon.

Politicians will likely hail the return as progress and victory, but it’s better than the dire predictions that we’ll be mired in Iraq for years to come—no matter who is in the White House.