They say it is under the cover of Afghanistan, but the point is the U.S. wants to move troops out of Iraq for.... what?
Not to come home.
"The desire to move more quickly reflects the view of many in the Pentagon who want to... free more troops for Afghanistan and potentially other missions."
Gee, I wonder what those could be!
"US considers picking up pace of Iraq pullout; Troops needed as Afghanistan fight intensifies" by Steven Lee Myers, New York Times News Service | July 13, 2008
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is considering the withdrawal of additional combat forces from Iraq beginning in September, according to administration and military officials, raising the prospect of a far more ambitious plan than expected only months ago.
Translation: Bush won Iraq -- something you will be hearing for the next five months -- even if it is a damn lie. Damn MSM never stopped lying about Iraq.
One factor in the consideration is the pressing need for additional American troops in Afghanistan. The desire to move more quickly reflects the view of many in the Pentagon who want to free more troops for Afghanistan and potentially other missions.
One senior administration official cautioned that Bush, who will have the final say, would be reluctant to endorse deep or rapid reductions if they jeopardized his goal of creating a stable and democratic government in Baghdad.Still, there is broad consensus in Washington and Baghdad that more US forces can now leave Iraq and that more are needed in Afghanistan. A reduction of combat brigades in Iraq would free up additional troops that could instead be sent to Afghanistan.
--MORE--"
Here is another reason they may be leaving:
"WASHINGTON - US and Iraqi negotiators have abandoned efforts to conclude a comprehensive agreement governing the long-term status of US troops in Iraq before the end of the Bush presidency, according to senior US officials, effectively leaving talks over an extended US military presence there to the next administration.
In place of the formal status-of-forces agreement negotiators had hoped to complete by July 31, the two governments are working on a "bridge" document, more limited in time and scope, that would allow basic US military operations to continue beyond the expiration of a UN mandate at the end of the year."
