Word: drawdowns
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...stall in the talks on a long-term pact came as U.S. leaders began suggesting they were ready to consider a significant drawdown of U.S. troops in Iraq, where violence has dropped significantly since the beginning of the year. Sadr appears to have grown impatient with the deadlock, which prevents any movement on the central demand of his armed movement: U.S. withdrawal. The offer by Sadr, easily the nimblest player in the politics of violence practiced in Iraq, has effectively seated him at the negotiating table with the Americans despite his having broken with the government of Iraqi Prime Minister...
...capture or destruction but were openly holding out hope that the cleric would rejoin the political process. In other words, the Americans want to deal with Sadr, even if the Maliki government doesn't. And Sadr appears ready to deal with the Americans on the question of a drawdown of U.S. forces, even if the Maliki government...
...isolated McCain, who once said he favored a 100-year presence there. And so he backpedaled, calling a 16-month withdrawal plan supported by Iraq's Prime Minister a "pretty good" timetable. Bush's new tactics may complicate the calculations of Obama as well. Even a symbolic troop drawdown in Iraq before the election could depress antiwar sentiment among Obama's most loyal voters. Obama knows that as troops are withdrawn, Bush's approval ratings will rise--giving Republicans up and down the ballot a possible boost. That bump will be far larger if bin Laden is captured or killed...
...each stop, Bush will be dealing with vexing challenges that aren't about to disappear because of a change in the Oval Office. Obama says he will end the war in Iraq, but his own advisors admit that any U.S. troop drawdown would depend on advice from ground commanders and would be unlikely to get the U.S. all the way out soon. McCain criticizes much of Bush's approach to Iraq, but says now that we're there, we have to stay and win. Both men will find the diplomatic and military options for changing Iran's nuclear ambitions...
...There's not a doubt in my mind that they all embraced this decision to some degree. And if it had not been for the moral courage of Gen. John Abizaid to stand up to them all and reverse Franks's troop drawdown order, there's no telling how much more damage would have been done...