Seeing The Handwriting On The Wall

It's about time that Bush is waking up to the cries for a withdrawal of our troops from Iraq. However, it's kind of curious as to why he is now considering it whereas just several weeks ago he was saying, "we must stay the course and that we will not leave until we have a victory." Has Bush finally seen the handwriting on the wall?

Why?

Is it because we have lost over 2,000 of our troops for apparently no reason? Is it because this war is growing more terrorists than it is getting rid of? Is it because the Iraqi leaders are wanting to know when the Americans are leaving and the sooner the better? Is it because of what this war is doing politically to the GOP, let us not forget the 2006 elections are coming up. Is it because this is going to go down as the disastrous legacy of the Bush Administration?

Your guess is a good as mine but no doubt we will find out the real reason soon enough. However, for me, it's thousands of lives too late.

THE CONFLICT IN IRAQ

U.S. Starts Laying Groundwork for Significant Troop Pullout From IraqBy Paul Richter and Tyler Marshall, Times Staff Writers

WASHINGTON — Even as debate over the Iraq war continues to rage, signs are emerging of a convergence of opinion on how the Bush administration might begin to exit the conflict.In a departure from previous statements, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said this week that the training of Iraqi soldiers had advanced so far that the current number of U.S. troops in the country probably would not be needed much longer.

President Bush will give a major speech Wednesday at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., in which aides say he is expected to herald the improved readiness of Iraqi troops, which he has identified as the key condition for pulling out U.S. forces.The administration's pivot on the issue comes as the White House is seeking to relieve enormous pressure by war opponents. The camp includes liberals, moderates and old-line conservatives who are uneasy with the costly and uncertain nation-building effort.

It also follows agreement this week among Iraqi politicians that the U.S. troop presence ought to decrease. Meeting in Cairo, representatives of the three major ethnic and religious groups called for a U.S. withdrawal and recognized Iraqis' "legitimate right of resistance" to foreign occupation. In private conversations, Iraqi officials discussed a possible two-year withdrawal period, analysts said.

The developments seemed to lay the groundwork for potentially large withdrawals in 2006 and 2007, consistent with scenarios outlined by Pentagon planners. The approach also tracks the thinking of some centrist Democrats, such as Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, the senior representative of his party on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Some analysts say the emerging consensus might have less to do with conditions in Iraq than the deployment's long-term strain on the U.S. military. And major questions about the readiness of Iraq's fledgling security forces remain, posing risks for any strategy that calls for an accelerated American withdrawal.

As recently as late September, senior U.S. military commanders said during a congressional hearing that just one Iraqi battalion, about 700 soldiers, was considered capable of undertaking combat operations fully independent of U.S. support. Administration officials now dismiss that measure of readiness, saying more Iraqi units are able to conduct advanced operations each day.

A former top Pentagon official who served during Bush's first term said he believed there was a "growing consensus" on withdrawing about 40,000 troops before next year's congressional election. That would be followed by further substantial pullouts in 2007 if it became clear that Iraqi forces could contain the insurgency."

You've got the convergence of domestic pressures, Iraqi pressures and Pentagon [withdrawal] plans that have been in the works for a while," said the former official, who requested anonymity. "This is serious."

A senior U.S. official said that in signaling hopes for a large drawdown next year, Rice was only "stating the obvious" this week."It looks like things are headed in the right direction to enable that to happen in 2006," said the official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

But he said those hopes could be derailed if there were setbacks. Among the upcoming markers is the Dec. 15 election for a permanent Iraqi government. Officials have said that violence is likely to increase before the vote. More than 100 U.S. troops have died in the month since the death toll reached 2,000.

U.S. officials hope that by the end of 2007, the remaining U.S. force will be small enough to not offend Iraqi sensibilities yet large enough to help Iraq's military with reconnaissance, intelligence gathering and air power.

Such an approach may be more acceptable to Republican candidates who are worried about next year's midterm election amid plummeting public support for the war and perhaps to GOP presidential candidates looking toward 2008.

Bush's handling of the war has the support of about 35% of the public, according to the latest Gallup poll. Other recent surveys have shown that only 40% of Americans believe the president is honest and trustworthy.

In recent months, Bush has rebuffed questions about a withdrawal schedule, saying that providing a specific timetable would hearten insurgents and encourage them to wait out U.S. forces.

There are about 160,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, and a widening field of critics has called for reductions.

Last week, Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), known as a military hawk, said it was time for the U.S. to begin withdrawing troops. His statement initially provoked a furious administration response that Bush and Vice President

Dick Cheney later sought to temper.The shift in the administration's attitude also may reflect concern that the U.S. military can't bear the current strains indefinitely. Some analysts believe the potential long-term damage to the armed forces, not political pressure, could be the decisive factor for Bush and his advisors.

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