An internal staff report conducted by the United States Embassy released to The New York Times illustrates the political, economic and security situation in Iraq as of the end of January.

The Provincial Stability Assessment, found at www.nytimes.com, which was provided by a government official, evaluates the provinces of Iraq into four levels of stability: stable, moderate, serious and critical.

But considering the Bush administration's actions thus far in blissful year six, one has to wonder if the report accurately portrays the tensions in Iraq.

The report itself concludes that Baghdad is among the least secure provinces, with routine assassination and intimidation. It also listed the border provinces of Basrah and Anbar as "critical," citing the unstable political and security situations in both provinces.

It is also important to keep in mind that while The New York Times is just now evaluating the report, it was was compiled before the Feb. 22 bombing of a revered Shiite shrine, which set off a wave of sectarian violence across Baghdad and Iraq.

The situation has undoubtedly become less stable since the report was compiled. Though it may not be much of a surprise to learn of the difficulties in Iraq, it highlights the need for governmental transparency.

Instead of repeated assurances that the war is going well, the government needs to be completely honest with the public, many of whom are financing the war and risking their lives overseas. This report certainly gives us reason to worry about the future of Iraq, and if the situation is worse than the January report indicates, modifications need to be made.

According to www.icasualties.org, there have been 108 U.S. military casualties in Iraq, and this report certainly doesn't provide hope that this situation will be resolved soon. Quite simply, this report raises the questions of how and when will the security and political situations in Iraq will improve.

Perhaps the message conveyed most clearly by the study is that a peaceful end to the conflict is still a long way off.