Even though President Bush is bent on “staying the course” in Iraq, and Lt. Gen. David Petraeus has hinted at years of U.S. military involvement to come, Iraqi leaders are apparently resigned to the idea that American troops may soon begin to pull out, according to Iraq’s ambassador to the U.S., Samir Sumaidaie.


Los Angeles Times:

Samir Sumaidaie also said that there was insufficient time in the next two months for the U.S. military’s troop buildup strategy in Iraq to prove itself, an indication that he expected little progress on the key measures of success by the time a pivotal American military assessment is compiled in September.

Sumaidaie’s comments to a group of reporters in Washington were one of the clearest signals yet of the pessimism overtaking the Bush administration’s closest allies in the Iraqi government. Such an acknowledgment by a top Iraqi leader could affect the debate over the war’s future in Congress, where Democratic and Republican lawmakers are challenging President Bush’s appeal for more time.

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