Iraq Panel to Urge Pullout Of Combat Troops by '08

[ProSense]

Iraq Panel to Urge Pullout Of Combat Troops by '08

By Peter Baker and Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, December 1, 2006; Page A01

The bipartisan Iraq Study Group plans to recommend withdrawing nearly all U.S. combat units from Iraq by early 2008 while leaving behind troops to train, advise and support the Iraqis, setting the first goal for a major drawdown of U.S. forces, sources familiar with the proposal said yesterday.

The commission plan would shift the U.S. mission in Iraq to a secondary role as the fragile Baghdad government and its security forces take the lead in fighting a Sunni insurgency and trying to halt sectarian violence. As part of major changes in the U.S. presence, sources said, the plan recommends embedding U.S. soldiers directly in Iraqi security units starting as early as next month to improve leadership and effectiveness.

The call to pull out combat brigades by early 2008 would be more a conditional goal than a firm timetable, predicated on the assumption that circumstances on the ground would permit it, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the commission's report will not be released until next week. But panel members concluded that it is vital to set a target to put pressure on Iraqi leaders to do more to assume responsibility for the security of their country.

Snip...

Pulling out combat units would not mean the end of the U.S. military involvement in Iraq, which could continue in a different form for years. The withdrawal would be partially offset by an influx of advisers, trainers and embedded troops. The number of such troops now stands at roughly 5,000 and should be quadrupled to about 20,000, the group's plan says, according to a source. The commission envisions leaving at least several thousand quick-strike U.S. combat soldiers to protect all those other American troops.

Snip...

Others in Washington cautiously welcomed the emerging report. "I think that the Baker report is . . . going to change the debate in this country," Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) told CNN.

Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), speaking on MSNBC's "Hardball," said that "I suspect there may be a growing bipartisan support in this country for what Jim Baker, Lee Hamilton, the other members of that commission have put together."

Sen. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.), the incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee who has called for beginning a pullout within six months, offered a careful assessment of the few details made public. "It's a welcome change in course," he said, "although it's not as specific, or it's not as pointed, or it's not as clear as I would like."

more...

KERRY: I think that the Baker report is going to move in a very different direction, and I think it's going to change the debate in this country.

We all want to get the job done, let's understand that. There's a difference of opinion about how you get the job done.

Our own intelligence agencies are telling us that our presence of American troops in Iraq is creating more terrorism, creating more terrorists, delaying the willingness of the Iraqis to stand up for themselves.

So I think we're going to have a very big debate in America. We ought to have a debate about how you best achieve our goals, the Iraqis' goals, the goals of the Middle East, the needs of all nations for security in that region.

And I believe you have to be tougher, set a date, be clear about the transition of authority, demand more from the Iraqis, leverage a change in their behavior and get our troops out of harm's way.

[Erika]

1. And our troops keep on dying and the globalists keep on winning

This sucks as does anyone who goes along with it.

[FrenchieCat]

2. String us out till right before the elections 2008.....

and then after, if the Repug wins......keep on doing "their" thing.

Plus make it appear that the Iraq issue will no longer relevant so that our Foreign policy strongmen are discouraged from running, and instead we nominate some economic policy wonk with no national security experience....then 3 days before the election, we get an Osama Bin Forgotten Tape ....as usual. :eyes:

Folks are fatigued and want to forget about Iraq anyways....so it all will look like a "GO" but not really.

[dmosh42]

3. Just another 'stay the course'

This is what Bush wants, a dragging this thing out. They have spent billions building these 'permanent bases' in Iraq and have no objective to ever remove all the troops. This fits into the Carlyle Group plans to stay in close proximity to their oil, just like the parasites they are.

[TayTay]

4. It is nice to see some of the 'grownups' saying withdraw

some/all of the troops during 2007. It is even better to think of Bush/Cheney having to listen to this next week when the actual report comes out. I would prefer to start getting troops out now, but with Bush/Cheney still in charge, it's not going to happen anyway.

I think the Iraq Study Group's report will be taken by the White House and filed away somewhere. Maybe Jim Baker and the others will get one of those 'Medals of Freedom' for doing this as a way of saying, hey nice job, get out.

What I don't think will happen is a drawdown of US forces until at least July, if then. The Dems in Congress are right to fight for this. The rest of us need to understand that they can propose things but it is Bush/Cheney who have to actually change the policy.