Bush agrees to reduce U.S. troops in Iraq: official

[cullen2382]

Source: reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush will announce plans on Thursday to pull 5,700 troops out of Iraq by December, accepting recommendations by the top U.S. commander and diplomat in Iraq, a senior administration official said.

Bush in his televised address on Thursday evening will also accept a recommendation to reduce U.S. forces to 15 brigades from 20 now, the official said without giving a time frame.

"The president will accept that recommendation and implement it as commander in chief," the official said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070913/pl_nm/iraq_bush_dc_3

[maseman]

1. Great headline..empty promise.

Move on, nothing to see here folks.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. Ah, Reduction Lite. to be cancelled because we need more

boots on the ground.

[BridgeTheGap]

3. and place them in Iran...

It's just a short drive.

[partylessinOhio]

4. It's just a number. The number of additional dead Americans if * continues

this insanity.

Impeach is the only answer.

[rocktivity]

5. CUE THE VONAGE THEME!

I don't believe him for a second--they'll either get stop-lossed or moved. But the very fact that Bush felt the need publicize this concession before his speech tonight means that we got to him!

:woohoo:
rocknation

[underpants]

7. This is what John Warner proposed a few weeks ago

also, of course, we all know that there is a mandatory draw down starting in April. W needs to complete the trifecta and claim responsibility for the sun coming up tomorrow morning.

[Magleetis]

6. Right

The commanders on the ground are making the decisions about troop numbers. Too bad the * administration told them what decision to make. A total charade and nothing more.

[Roland99]

8. So, that's like, what, 15% of the escalation troops? Wow. What a gesture!!

[olddad56]

9. reduce the troops in Iraq, move them to Iran ...

then replace the trops in Iraq with more mercenaries from Blackwater.

[JesterCS]

10. Bush Approves Gradual Troop Cuts in Iraq

Source: AP`

WASHINGTON - Rejecting calls to leave Iraq, President Bush on Thursday ordered gradual U.S. troop reductions from their highest level of the war and said more forces can come home as progress is made. At the same time, he said Iraq needs "an enduring relationship with America."

In remarks prepared for a prime-time address from the Oval Office, Bush presented his strategy for reducing U.S. forces. "The principle guiding my decisions on troop levels in Iraq is: return on success. The more successful we are, the more American troops can return home."

....



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070913/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_iraq

---

Sensing a bit of Presidential Election politics at work.

[Justitia]

11. So, he's holding our soldiers hostage until he achieves "success". I hope he rots. -eom

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

12. What a crock.

This ass clown would piss on you and tell you it was raining. These so-called "troop reductions" are the equivalent of a salesman telling you that you absolutely must buy whatever now, prices are slashed, etc. when any basic marketing course will tell you that THE BUSINESS NEVER REALLY TAKES A LOSS.

Remember the "Surge" of 30,000? it was more like 50,000, not to mention the numbers of private security ops. BushCo is counting on people only hearing "troop reduction" and being happy with it. No. We need a complete and total troop reduction. bring our boys and girls home so we can begin to repair the damage!

[dipsydoodle]

13. Will the troops who return home

be kept on rotation to go back to Iraq again anyway ? Ignore Iran for now - that's a red herring as I doubt that ground troops will be used there.

Another red herring :

[MichiganVote]

14. And now the various forces will fight like hell for which brigades leave and which will stay