US planning to cut military presence in Iraq by 2006: report

[leftchick]

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayArticle.asp?col=§ion=focusoniraq&xfile=data/focusoniraq/2004/July/focusoniraq_July71.xml

<snip>
But President George W. Bush’s approval rating has fallen below 50 percent, as more and more Americans surveyed by pollsters believe he made a mistake by invading Iraq. Plans to draw down military forces in Iraq could improve his prospects for reelection on November 2.

Air Force General Norton Schwartz told the House committee Wednesday without providing specific figures that US forces could be gradually replaced by Iraqi soldiers and police by 2006.

“The bottom line is that this will be done incrementally and it will be done in locations around Iraq where transitions can occur and the Iraqi security forces can be successful,” Schwartz told lawmakers.

“We will cascade American forces from those locations to places where they can be better utilized,” he said. “And ultimately, naturally, we’ll reduce the force structure in Iraq.”

[NMDemDist2]

1. two more years? good grief n/t

[Scooter24]

3. They said

troops could remain in Iraq for up to 5 more years.

[Solly Mack]

2. Plans are one thing...actually doing it is another

He'll lie and claim he has a plan to reduce troops in Iraq and then flip-flop later.

I will continue to tell my fellow military spouses that Bush is a liar and we are looking at perpetual war as long as he is in office.

[Barrett808]

4. "it will be done in locations around Iraq where transitions can occur..."

"it will be done in locations around Iraq where transitions can occur and the Iraqi security forces can be successful"

And where, exactly would that be?

[Wright Patman]

5. I remember when Richard Nixon

had a "secret plan" to end the Vietnam War if only we would elect him to the White House in 1968.

We did and he didn't.