Pentagon Says Troop Pullout From Iraq Could Begin In 2006

[FreedomAngel82]

Of course. Just in time for the midterms. Remember when the Pentagon was asked this and the denyed? :eyes:

Link: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1506521/20050727/index.jhtml?headlines=true&_requestid=465657

Snip: <A "fairly substantial" pullout of U.S. troops from Iraq could begin as early as next year, the military announced Wednesday.

U.S. Army General George Casey, the top American commander in Iraq, made the announcement during a surprise visit to the country by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Casey also said the insurgency in Iraq has not substantially increased within the past year, despite numerous suicide bombings in recent weeks.

"The insurgents need progress to survive, and this insurgency is not progressing," Casey said.

Casey added that if security improved and the Iraqi elections went ahead as planned at the end of the year, "We will still be able to make fairly substantial reductions ... in the spring and summer of next year."

A new USA Today/ Gallup poll reports only 43 percent of Americans are confident of victory and 32 percent believe the U.S. could not win the war in Iraq. The poll was also the first to show that a majority of Americans (51 percent) believe the government deliberately misled the public about WMDs.

While a timetable has yet to be set for withdrawal, Iraq Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari said American troops should leave as soon as possible, but in coordination with Iraqi plans, the AP reports.>

[CarbonDate]

1. Hey, awesome.

And since Kerry, Clinton, and Biden have been advocating MORE troops in Iraq, the Republicans can now position themselves as the "peace" party.

They've had their fingers in the air for so long that all they feel know is their own hot air.

[Jersey Devil]

6. Hey, I gotta say, you nailed it

How many times are our guys (at least that's what they are supposed to be) going to get caught with their thumbs up their asses?

[joemurphy]

2. What a surprise! Just before the mid-term elections!

What a coincidence!

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. the are gonna abandon Iraq just in time for the elections

how quaint?

by the way, this is political and nothing more...

(by the way are they gonna pull ALL the troops and close all seven bases?)

[Catch22Dem]

4. Just in time for elections

I'm shocked at how well our republican leaders are handling this war. Did you hear the war was actually over now? Yeah, it's a struggle against extremeism now, so it's all good.

[FreedomAngel82]

7. Of course

Just like the entrance of Iraq was for the 2002 midterms. In 2002 they were seen as "protecting the homeland" and now they're going to be seen as the peace keepers. :eyes: Disgusting.

[Fescue4u]

5. One can be cynical and look for ulterior motives

And thats cool.

But its still a damn good thing if true, even if it is being done for political reasons.

[Ms. Clio]

8. I heard one commentator speculate that it's basically just PR

He mentioned at least 2 previous announcements that troops were going to be scaled back/withdrawn, and added that in fact, the Pentagon has absolutely no idea what the situation will actually be at the time, but this sounds good now.

(Heard On Democracy Now! I think)

[BrewerJohn]

9. They'll probably pull a small fraction out

and figure that will be enough to secure the Moron-American vote.

"There's light at the end of the tunnel!"

It'll probably work too.

:banghead: