Planned Withdrawal

It's been a blog intensive day....so much happening.

While BushCo and the GOP are labeling every sane person and their dog as cowards for suggesting withdrawal, they have also allowed this to leak:

There’s word now that the Pentagon, where planning, after all, is everything, has drawn up a plan to draw down the number of U.S. troops in Iraq… Pentagon and military officials tell NBC news the plan calls for the substantial withdrawal of more than 60,000 American troops from Iraq. The plan was drafted by Generals John Abizaid and George Casey, the top two U.S. commanders of the war. If Iraqi elections are successful in December, and a new parliament seated in January, the withdrawal could begin almost immediately. Military officials say it would be an incremental or phased withdrawal.

The declare-victory-before-the-midterm-elections strategy. I actually thought they'd do this earlier, but early 2006 would be good timing, because it's good politics. And politics is everything to these folks. I wonder if they're taking Murtha seriously and positioning troops in Kuwait for further actions in Syria/Iran? Wouldn't surprise me after utterly trashing him.

I feel particularly sad for the soldiers. The entire Iraq adventure has been so costly. Of course, soldiers have been used as pawns since time began. You just gotta wonder if human beings will ever learn. Whatever the reason turns out to be, I hope we get them out of there sooner rather than later. If it's because of politics rather than nobility....so be it.