Looks like the Pentagon is leaning toward withdrawing about two thirds of U.S. troops by early 2009.
Of course, any Democrat proposing such a move would be accused of cutting and running.
Story is coming soon at http://www.washingtonpost.com
One of the guiding principles, according to two officials here, is that the United States should leave Iraq more intelligently than it entered.
No shit, Sherlock!
But that isn't saying much.
More coming from WaPo:
Military officials, many of whom whould be interviewed only on the condition of anonymity, say they are now assessing conditions more realistically, rejecting the ``steady progress'' mantra of their predecessors and recognizing that short-term political reconciliation in Iraq is unlikely. A reduction of troops, some officials argue, would demonstrate to anti-American factions that the occupation will not last forever while reassuring Iraqi allies that the United States does not intend to abandon the country.
Wow. The Pentagon facing reality? You MUST be kidding.
You mean military officials weren't facing reality for the last few years?
I am shocked, shocked, I tell you!
The immediate all-or-nothing debate in Washington over troop levels represents a false dilemma, some military officials said. Even if a total pullout is the goal, it could take a year to execute a full withdrawal. One official estimated that with only one major route from the country--through southern Iraq to Kuwait--it would take at least 3,000 large convoys some 10 months to remove U.S. military gear and personnel alone, not including the several thousand combat vehicles that would be needed to protect such an operation.
So we will still have about 50,000 U.S. troops to serve as target practice for insurgents in Iraq, for many years to come
This is hardly the first time officials have considered troop reductions. The original U.S. war plan called for the Army to have only 30,000 troops in Iraq by fall 2003; later, top commanders planned for a drawdown in the summer of 2004. Neither option came to pass, as the military found itself engaged in a tougher and longer war in Iraq than it or the Bush administration had expected.
Gee, again, what a shocker that the Pentagon didn't expect the Iraq war to be as tough as it was.
I remember those "alarmists" (like myself) warning of U.S. troops being bogged down in a long-term occupation, but NO, the Pentagon assured us that was not likely. And after all, they are the experts.