US may sharply cut Iraq force within year: general

[tocqueville]

1 hour, 13 minutes ago


BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The United States hopes to sharply reduce its forces in Iraq within the next year, its top commander on the ground said on Wednesday.


"I do believe that if the political process continues to go positively, if the developments with the (Iraqi) security forces continue to go as it is going, I do believe we will still be able to make fairly substantial reductions after these elections in the spring and summer of next year," General George Casey said at a briefing with visiting Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050727/ts_nm/iraq_cuts_dc

[SpiralHawk]

1. "Just in time for the 2006 elections." - Karl "I am not a traitor" Rove

"But -- and you gotta believe me because I am really, really telling the truth this time -- we are doing it for FREEDOM and JUSTICE and NOBILITY this time, not for our usual cheap political reasons." - Rove

[Lerkfish]

2. um....I think the only way that will realistically happen is if they are

redeployed to Iran or similar next target on the neocon list.
otherwise, those 14 permanent military bases are intended to be PERMANENT.

[PATRICK]

3. Military no-nonsense talk cuts to the quick

hopes...I do believe....if....if....I do believe....if...fairly substantial...next year.

I do believe in ghosts. I do I do I do.

I suppose it matters whether the WH wrote this script when it ordered him to talk tough about troup reductions?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. "The light at the end of the tunnel"...again.

I just heard the story on NPR. "If the insurgency doesn't spread.." was also in his little exercise in double-talk.