Biden: U.S. Troops Will Leave Iraq on Deadline

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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/05/27/politics/washingtonpost/main6523510.shtml

Biden: U.S. Troops Will Leave Iraq on Deadline


President Obama called Iraq his predecessor's war of choice. Now it is his war to exit -- and quickly.

The challenge for Obama, whose opposition to the Iraq invasion helped propel him to the presidency, is sticking to his timeline for a U.S. military withdrawal despite a jump in violence and continued wrangling among Iraqi politicians over who will lead the country.

The sensitive departure is being managed by Vice President Biden, who says the U.S. military will reduce troop levels to 50,000 this summer, even if no new Iraqi government takes shape.

"It's going to be painful; there's going to be ups and downs," Biden said in a 40-minute interview in his West Wing office this month. "But I do think the end result is going to be that we're going to be able to keep our commitment."

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"I don't see anything that's in the realm of probability -- I guess you could come up with a scenario, but I can't think of any rational one based on what's on the ground -- that would lead us to think we need" more time, Biden said. "And, by the way, 50,000 troops is a lot of troops."

Next month, Biden will run a session focusing on the quickening shift of the relationship between the U.S. and Iraqi governments from a mostly military to a mostly civilian one, including stepped-up police training and other programs designed to strengthen the Iraqi state.

"We're long-term invested in this working for them, not long-term invested in being able to be characterized as occupiers," Biden said. "This is not draw down and draw out; this is draw down the military, ramp up the civilian intercourse with the Iraqis."