WSJ: White House Faces Calls to Withdraw After Iraq Election

[question everything]

White House Faces Calls to Withdraw After Iraq Election

By CHRISTOPHER COOPER
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
February 1, 2005

With the Iraq elections over, the Bush administration faces new calls for a timetable to withdraw U.S. troops from the country, but administration officials say the White House is likely to resist.

(snip)

Though some in the Bush administration have predicted when U.S. troops might be withdrawn, the president himself has so far resisted, saying only that the soldiers will stay as long as they are welcome and have work to do. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld recently told reporters he thought Americans would be out of Iraq by the conclusion of the second Bush term; the president is unlikely to add more clarity in his State of the Union speech tomorrow.

In part, the Bush administration says it is unwilling to telegraph its intentions to enemy fighters in Iraq. "I think the president has previously talked about timetables send the wrong message to the terrorists," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said yesterday. "Because all the terrorists have to do is wait, and then they can plan and coordinate and prepare attacks around those timetables."

The other concern is more straightforward: Iraq doesn't have a force capable of countering the insurgency. Though U.S. troops may inspire some attacks, they are by far the best-equipped force to battle an insurgency that has brought reconstruction activities in the country to a halt. Moreover, the international coalition that accompanied the U.S. to Iraq is too thin to bring the country to heel on its own.

(snip)

--Carla Anne Robbins contributed to this article.

Write to Christopher Cooper at [e-mail]

URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB110721834404041836,00.html

[Kikosexy2]

1. (Sigh)...

just more promises to be broken by Chimpie and co. Oh those gullible Iraqis...

[central scrutinizer]

2. we can't steal their oil

if we withdraw. Plus we need Iraq as a base when we invade Iran on some flimsy pretext. Come on WSJ, get a clue.

[FatEmbolism]

3. There's not one military

official that think's it's a good idea. Kerry, dayton, Reid and Bayh also think it's not a good idea. I'm not sure anybody but Kennedy thinks it's a good idea!

[Lerkfish]

4. oh, I"m guessing the Iraqis think its a good idea! after all the repubs

were so hot to "liberate" them.

why don't we ask THEM? its THEIR FRICKIN COUNTRY!!!!

[w4rma]

6. Why? What is your goal for Iraq? (nt)

[question everything]

8. Shadows of a helicopter hovering over our embassy

and frightened civilians scrambling to climb?

[TahitiNut]

10. R.I.P.

My! What an apt screen name! :eyes:

[Mountainman]

14. I'll bet there are about 150,000 troops in Iraq that think it's a good

idea.

Besides, the military works for us not the other way around.

[Barrett808]

5. I agree with Robert Fisk: talks with the rebels will be held

A relatively orderly handover of power is likely to occur, as the US secretly meets with the insurgents. It's possible that the oft-mentioned onetime set-aside of Sunni seats in the constitutional convention will be the carrot that allows a mutual de-escalation. I see this as the only way for both sides to get out of this mess and save face.

[leftchick]

7. but what about the bases? and the communications system?

are we leaving all that behind? I doubt it...

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2281&ncid=742&e=5&u=/thenation/20050118/cm_thenation/132132

[Barrett808]

11. Yes, these do pose a problem for the "total withdrawal" theory

It's possible the insurgency would accept a limited US presence somewhat like what used to pertain in Saudi Arabia. I don't doubt for a moment that BushCo still lusts for Iraq's oil and will devote every attention to putting it in their hands, or the hands of friendly proxies. Can the insurgency be bought off? It's not entirely out of the question...

[struggle4progress]

9. I think it's gonna be a long long time. eom

[Last Lemming]

12. It may be less than you think

we, the finest, best equipt army in the world, ARE losing this war

[daleo]

13. Timetable or not, wouldn't people notice U.S. troops were gone?

Well yes of course they would, so this reasoning doesn't really hold up.

[wicket]

15. George W. Bush in 1999: "Victory means exit strategy"

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_W._Bush

"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is."

------------------------------------

What a fucking hypocrite.