So... will we be mostly out of Iraq in a year & a half?

[annabanana]

A UK leak to the Washington Post seems to indicate yes. ON THE FRONT FRIGGEN PAGE!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/10/AR2005071000725.html
LONDON, July 10 -- The United States and Britain are drawing up plans to withdraw the majority of their troops from Iraq by the middle of next year, according to a secret memo written for British Prime Minister Tony Blair by Defense Secretary John Reid.

The paper, which is marked "Secret -- UK Eyes Only," said "emerging U.S. plans assume that 14 out of 18 provinces could be handed over to Iraqi control by early 2006," allowing a reduction in overall U.S.-led forces in Iraq to 66,000 troops. The troop level is now at about 160,000, including 138,000 American troops, according to a military spokesman in Baghdad.


So why is TV all about the storm that didn't happen?:grr:

[annabanana]

1. HEY!. . . . . n/t

[iconoclastic cat]

2. The brits will. We, however, will not.

[DistressedAmerican]

3. If They Are Out, It Will Only Be So They Can Be In Somewhere Else!

[Telly Savalas]

4. Cutting the number of troops in half isn't being "mostly out of Iraq"

66,000 troops is quite a few.

It's possible that the forces will be cut to that level, because it's not clear what level of troops Bush needs to achieve his goals, since he can't be bothered to elucidate those goals beyond "stay the course".

[Oversea Visitor]

5. Nice timing for

2006 hey

[Javaman]

6. This is another clever bullshit story...

Once again my bullshit radar is going wild.

Remember, these are the same morons* that told us there were WMD's in Iraq.

They can and will say all sorts of things to try and boost their numbers, (remember moron* doesn't pay attention to the polls, yeah right), so as they remove a token amount of troops early or mid next year, they will turn them right back around and send them back after the mid term elections, using some fucked up excuse to put them back in.

Smoke and mirrors folks, just smoke and mirrors.