Iraq Troop Withdrawal? Huh?!?

[Sparkly]

As I was half-asleep this morning, I think I heard on my clock-radio that the Brits intend to remove nearly all troops within a couple of months, and the US cut down substantially (and maybe withdraw nearly all by the end of the year)?

"No announcement yet from Washington or Downing Street, but a secret plan was said to be formulated" or something...

What's that about? Did I miss something? Or was I asleep?

[shoelace414]

1. what? a cut and run?

how am I not surprised.

[joemurphy]

2. We Brought Them Freedom and Democracy.

Guess it's time to go home! Let's declare victory, call it peace with honor, and move out like we did with Vietnam

[Goldeneye]

3. Right in time for midterms.

They planned to get us in for 02 midterms, and now they want to get us out again in time for 06 midterms.

[joemurphy]

6. I'm Shocked, Shocked...

..that you would think that our military withdrawal might be politically motivated!!!!

[HockeyMom]

7. need those troops to start mobilizing for IRAN

[Ilsa]

4. Yeah, I think there have been two published reports

of these intentions. It could be that the GOP is getting nervous about 2006 elections, so they may declare victory and leave.

I wonder if the draw-down will result in fewer "insurgency" attacks in appreciation?

[wakeme2008]

5. Rove has set the draw down of troops just BEFORE the 2006

elections...

Nice timing...

[rocktivity]

8. Here are the details

UK memo says US, UK readying Iraqi withdrawal-report

LONDON, July 10...A leaked document from Britain's Defence Ministry says the British and U.S. governments are planning to reduce their troop levels in Iraq by more than half by mid-2006, the Mail on Sunday newspaper reported.

The memo, reportedly written by Defence Minister John Reid, said Britain would reduce its troop numbers to 3,000 from 8,500 by the middle of next year...

Translation: It's a sop to GOP moderates so they'll have a better chance of winning their mid-term elections and not join the Dems in calling for articles of impeachment. But even if it did happen, keep in mind that Syria and Iran are the next stops.

:headbang:
rocknation

[Sparkly]

11. Thank you

I totally missed this yesterday.

The memo said Washington planned to cut its forces to 66,000 from about 140,000 by early 2006.

"Emerging U.S. plans assume 14 out of 18 provinces could be handed over to Iraqi control by early 2006," the memo said.

[murielm99]

9. So why are they building permanent bases, then?

eom

[Sparkly]

10. Maybe to launch attacks on other countries?

[Contrary1]

13. If true, it could be just to make sure

Halliburton keeps getting a huge chunk of the pie.
In the words of the articulate Dim Son, "Make the pie higher!"

[Telly Savalas]

15. The alleged reduction would still leave over 60,000 US troops there

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/10/AR2005071000725.html

The idea seems to be to scale back the occupation, not to end it.

[Poiuyt]

12. A secret plan?

Just like Nixon. This is getting to sound more like Viet Nam every day.

[bemildred]

14. Nixon had a secret plan too, in 1968.

It was another seven years before that war ended.