The main idea of the paragraph?

[sky753]

Hello Everyone,

I read a report about American's five years in Iraq, in which there is a paragraph I don't understand. Hope you can help?

Officials now running the U.S. effort express frustration that the gains wrought by their new political, security and economic policies -- in particular, sharply reduced violence -- are continually weighed against the first four years of the war, when Iraq unraveled in insurgency and sectarian strife.

My question is what the main idea of the passage is?

What does "weighed against" and "the U.S effort express frustration" mean here?

Regards

Sky

[Anglika]

Officials [[now running the U.S. effort]] express frustration

They are saying that all the careful planning and training for takeover that is being done is not being properly considered as the hard line taken previously still affects the way in which people regard events. The hard line metaphorically still outweighs the current approach.

[susiedqq]

Officials now running the U.S. effort express frustration that the gains wrought by their new political, security and economic policies -- in particular, sharply reduced violence -- are continually weighed against the first four years of the war, when Iraq unraveled in insurgency and sectarian strife.


It means that, even though there has been progress in some areas - especially the reduction in violence, these "gains" are always being compared to the history of the past 4 years, when the country came apart due to rebels and all the in-fighting between tribes. This is frustrating to those now in charge of the U.S. war campaign.

[sky753]

Officials [[now running the U.S. effort]] express frustration

They are saying that all the careful planning and training for takeover that is being done is not being properly considered as the hard line taken previously still affects the way in which people regard events. The hard line metaphorically still outweighs the current approach.

You explanation is hard to me! I would like to know here whether it equals to that of susiedqq?

And what do " wrought" and "weighed against" mean here?

[Anglika]

You explanation is hard to me! I would like to know here whether it equals to that of susiedqq?

And what do " wrought" and "weighed against" mean here?

They mean about the same.

Put the situation into physical terms. There are two packages, one marked "insurgency and sectarian strife", one marked "gains from new policies". The packages are put onto a balance [weighing machine], one on one side and one on the other. One package is weighed against the other package. The "insurgency and sectarian strife" package tips the balance towards its side. It outweighs the other package.



"wrought" [past participle of "wreak] = to cause something to happen often in a violent and/or uncontrolled way]. Here the new policies are seen as bringing about improvements.