ALL troops out by 2011. All. There you go Gregory/Ricks/Todd

[Windy]

US troops will not be there for 15 years...

[NeedleCast]

1. I'd like to see a faster withdrawl but I can live with this

About half the troops out by the middle of 2010. It seems like a pragmatic plan...or at least a plan, which is far more than we had under W.

[madokie]

2. I like that there is an end date

[hamsterjill]

4. Me, too.

I would like it to be faster, but this is something, at least.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. Seriously? So have I got this right?

100,000 combat troops out in 19 months, the other 50,000 "residual troops" out by 2011?

[NeedleCast]

5. Gradual draw down to 50K by middle of 2010

But from what I've read today, it seems back-stacked, so the number of troops leaving increases in pace the closer to the middle of 2010 we get. All troops out by Dec 31, 2011.

[tuckessee]

6. That's a long time from now.

Things have been known to change. It is a fluid situation.

These "promises" of withdraw might carry some weight if the issuers of them would promise to resign if the withdraw is cancelled or postponed.

Otherwise, all we have is politicians parsing words.

[SidneyCarton]

7. Yes things change, such is the nature of reality.

It would be nice if the universe were one static whole, things would be eminently predictable and there would be no surprises. As people tend to be actors and not objects, such is not the case. This is probably as good as it gets though.

[tonycinla]

9. What?

This is NOT what we were led to believe.Fifty thousand troops are not "residual".Residual is related to the word residue which usually means about 5% or less of something.The end of 2011 is basically 3 years from now.Anything can happen in three years to make them change their plans.The Iraqis will game the system to their financial advantage and milk ever more precious dollars from the American treasury and future generations of Americans.Obama is simply kicking the can down the road and keeping his options open.He is finding out ,and will continue to find out,that it is much easier to be a Monday morning quarterback than a Sunday afternoon quarterback.He is very clever ,his modus operandi is starting to become clear,basically what he and people are doing to "solve" problems is to have solutions that will make it impossible or very difficult to judge whether the solutions are really working or not until after the 2012 elections.HE also ,IMHO, has economic solutions that will work some in the short run but could be disastrous in the longer run.Stay tuned and awake!

[SidneyCarton]

10. This grows tiresome.

If you want a revolution, go smash a window. A few hours in stir might clear your head a little. It is infinitely easier to put troops into a place, than remove them. Just as it is infinitely easier to complain than make policy, or balance interests, or deal with the various disseparate elements which make up our nation.

You've been "awake" too long, the insomnia is affecting your ability to reason. Get some resst and then come back to this issue.

[annabanana]

8. Didn't you hear?.... It was all because of the Surge...

Pay no attention to that President at the podium. . .