Democratic Senators were angered Sunday after they learned the U.S. commander in Iraq had separately requested a reduction of troops in the same week Republicans voted against the withdrawal timetable.
| General Casey didn't set a timetable, he started developing a plan for the eventual withdraw which we all know is going to happen. How do we know? George Bush said so. |
According to a Monday Washington Post report, Sen. Barbara Boxer a California Democrat said Gen. George W. Casey's plan falls in line with the Democratic proposal that called for the beginning of troop withdrawal in December.
| Except Casey's plan doesn't send a signal to the terrorists as to how long they need to hold on, Babbles. |
The paper quotes Boxer saying, "That means the only people who have fought us and fought us against the timetable, the only ones still saying there shouldn't be a timetable really are the Republicans in the United States Senate and in the Congress." Boxer criticized the outcome of the vote which rejected a timetable for withdrawal. "Now it turns out we're in sync with General Casey," the senator said.
| No you're not. The appearance of such is an accident, let us assure you. |
Michigan's Sen. Carl M. Levin, one of the two sponsors of the resolution, condemned the report as one of the "secrets" of the Bush administration.
The report alleges there is a need for troop reductions in Iraq, but The White House prefers to begin withdrawal by midterm elections due November. The administration believes this would show there is some "progress" in Iraq.
| First, Bush has said all along that the withdrawal would be determined by facts on the ground, and second, if it was so important to time it to an election, 2004 would have been better. |
The paper quotes Levin on "Fox News Sunday" saying, "It's as clear as your face, which is mighty clear, that before this election, this November, there's going to be troop reductions in Iraq, and the president will then claim some kind of progress or victory."
| The president and the military have said all along that troops would start coming home when the situation got better, and it's been obvious since, oh, mid-2005 or so that 2006 would be the year in which things got measurably better. The Iraqis have elected and installed a government. They have graduated sufficient police and military personnel to start doing the heavy lifting. The population, especially the Sunnis, are more accepting of the new system. The terrs are dispirited -- the ones that haven't been dismembered by a bomb. It's no big secret. Anyone who could read tea leaves could see this coming, which is exactly why the Dems have been trying to get out in front on this all year. |
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