US will probably begin drawdown of force in Iraq next year

Middle East Online ^

[jmc1969]

US commander predicts insurgency to dwindle rapidly once government elected with broad support.

By Jim Mannion – WASHINGTON

The US military will probably begin withdrawing some forces from Iraq by March, a top US commander said Tuesday, predicting the insurgency will dwindle rapidly if the country's Sunnis, Shia and Kurds can agree on a constitution and elect a government that has broad support.

Lieutenant General John Vines, the number two US commander in Iraq, said any drawdown would depend on conditions on the ground.

But he said as many as four or five US brigades probably would come out in March.

"I suspect we will probably draw down capability after the elections because Iraqi security forces are more capable," Vines said in a two-way press conference here via video-link from Iraq.

"So what I would think is we would continually assess, bring down part of the forces, assess what the conditions are, what those effects are, and then continue to do that.

"So intelligence-wise, I don't see anything driving the insurgency up and I certainly don't see it growing at this point. Could either one of those change? A political solution could absolutely change the dynamics," he said.

[jmc1969]

Quagmire alert!

This just goes to show Zarqawi has been incredibly sucessful when it comes to using our own media (with lots of help here in the US) to hurt US opinion of the war with his endless stream of daily suicide bombers, but militarily that doesn't do shit to help him.

[roses of sharon]

It matters not what happens, they media will say we lost anyway, and the public will believe it.

[Bluegrass Conservative]

It matters not what happens . . .

Speak like Yoda, you do.

[Huck]

Great news. I hope they can stick to it.

[The Old Hoosier]

Thank goodness.

[bubman]

I thought they had do go through Damascus before coming home!!!

Oh well I guess I'm joining the Marinnnnneeeeessss!