NYT: Bush mulling 2008 troop withdrawal.

[stevedeshazer]

“The Bush administration is developing what are described as concepts for reducing American combat forces in Iraq by as much as half next year, according to senior administration officials in the midst of the internal debate.”

The concepts call for a reduction in forces that could lower troop levels to roughly 100,000 by the midst of the 2008 presidential election, and they would also greatly scale back the mission that President Bush set for the American military when he ordered it in January to win back control of Baghdad and Anbar Province.

The mission would instead focus on the training of Iraqi troops and fighting Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, while removing Americans from many of the counterinsurgency efforts inside Baghdad.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/26/washington/26strategy.html?hp

But wait...

Flashback to NYT June 24, 2006...

The top American commander in Iraq has drafted a plan that projects sharp reductions in the United States military presence there by the end of 2007, with the first cuts coming this September, American officials say.

According to a classified briefing at the Pentagon this week by the commander, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the number of American combat brigades in Iraq is projected to decrease to 5 or 6 from the current level of 14 by December 2007.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/25/world/middleeast/25military.html?ex=1308888000&en=f51dc3bd1a5ff247&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Same bullshit, different year. :grr:

Read the whole thing here: http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/25/nyt-bush-mulling-2008-troop-withdrawal/

[NightWatcher]

1. he's dangling this in front of us so that we will cut him some slack

this is a weak attempt to calm the houds of hell who are starting to yell for his head.

He is actually "quietly" doubling the combat forces that are on the ground and should be very close to 200K by Christmas. It's a very bad version of three card monte.

[stevedeshazer]

2. And almost identical to what he said on June 24, 2006

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/25/world/middleeast/25military.html?ex=1308888000&en=f51dc3bd1a5ff247&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

[sam sarrha]

4. and to what he will say as DickTatter in 2024

[spanone]

3. Two Words....Horse Shit.

[Grandrose]

5. SBDD!!!

Same Bull Different Day...the Bush/Cheney cabal are deceitful and lier's!:argh:

[liberal renegade]

7. That's putting it rather mildly......

[leftchick]

6. half of 200,000 leaves 100,000

remember this?

Second Surge: US to double combat troops in Iraq in 2007

http://mathaba.net/news/?x=554614

The paper estimated that there will be as many as 28 combat brigades in Iraq by Christmas.

The total number of U.S. troops in Iraq could increase from 162,000 now to more than 200,000 -- a record high number -- by the end of the year, it said.

[dkofos]

8. Just more BUSHIT

[Warren Stupidity]

9. They just run the same bullshit campaign over and over again.

It is tediously boring. I'd pay no attention if it weren't for the heaps and piles of dead bodies and dismembered limbs that are a direct consequence of their bullshit.