2010: An Iraq Odyssey

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Remember back on May 20, when I reported that Bush and Blair would hold a summit and announce troop reductions in Iraq? Well, the summit (really a news conference) happened. You can read about it here (if you register for the Washington Post. It's free.) and read a transcript here (NPR, no registration necessary). A reporter asked if US troop levels were in fact going to be reduced to 100,000:
Q: So the 100,000 figure --

PRESIDENT BUSH: That's some speculation in the press that I -- they haven't talked to me about. And as the commander in chief, they eventually will talk to me about it. The American people need to know that we'll keep the force level there necessary to win. And it's important for the American people to know that politics isn't going to make the decision as to the size of our force level. The conditions on the ground will make the decision.

So I guess the 100,000 figure was just some BS floated by somebody to get our hopes up. And then there's this (from the WaPo story linked above):

Bush at a previous news conference said it will be up to future presidents to decide when the last U.S. forces will leave, and an aide to Blair told British reporters this week that London hopes to pull out its last troops by 2010.

The British hope to be out by 2010? So when do we get to leave? Sigh.

Comments

Anonymous said…
This is a long war. We started it in 2003...so during the time of this war, I will have started (and hopefully finished) my PhD, gotten engaged and married, and gave birth to our child. And our child will be getting ready for Kindergarten when the occupation ends.
7:24 PM, May 26, 2006
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