Bush: Under Him, Most Troops Will Stay in Iraq

Here’s one way to tell the difference between a war and an occupation: In response to the “success” of the surge and the undefined “victory” that lies just around the corner in Iraq, the president on Tuesday will pledge to maybe reduce troop levels by about 5 percent six months from now after he’s left office. How can John McCain win this argument with Barack Obama?

For added comic value, the White House is trying to sell this insubstantial reduction as a major troop drawdown.

AP via Time:

But all this emphasis on progress and improvement belied the fact that his announcement is likely to be a disappointment to many who wanted — and even expected — bigger drawdowns sooner.

Nowhere did Bush acknowledge this, instead highlighting his announcement as one of “additional force reductions.”

The Iraq war has drained the country’s spirit during Bush’s second term, and the future course of the conflict is a major point of division between the men who want to replace Bush, Republican Sen. John McCain and Democratic Sen. Barack Obama.

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