While The Democrats Were

Encouraging the planning for redeployment and withdrawal from Iraq, and the Republicans were busy calling the Democrats traitors and cowards, and screeching 'cut and run', the military was quietly developing a plan for redeployment and withdrawal from Iraq.

The top U.S. commander in Iraq has drafted a plan that projects steep reductions in the U.S. military presence there by the end of 2007, The New York Times reported on Saturday.

Citing U.S. officials with knowledge of a classified Pentagon briefing this week by Gen. George Casey, the Times said the first cuts would come in September, and the number of U.S. combat brigades in Iraq is then projected to fall to five or six from the current level of 14 by the end of next year.

Kinda funny how both the Democrat's plan and the Army's plan sound a bit similar. So, I guess, in the eyes of many Republicans, Gen. George Casey is also a coward and traitor for suggesting that we cut and run.

What is interesting is that this plan exist at all (if this story is correct). There are clear indicators that the current security situation is no better than it has been over the last two years. Despite a draconian lockdown in Baghdad, violence continues unabated, and last week there was another spike in US losses.

Japan is leaving, the UK is reducing it's forces, and there still appears to be no security in any developed portion of Iraq (outside of some Kurdish areas). There is little reason to think that the Iraqi forces are in any position to step up to the task.

It leaves one to ponder why is Casey looking at withdrawal at this point.

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Iraq