November 30, 2006
ISG Weighs In
The recommendations of the Iraqi Study Group have finally gone public... through a leak, of course:
Following an intense assessment of U.S. policies in the war in Iraq, the Iraq Study Group will recommend that a "gradual but meaningful" reduction of U.S. troops begin "relatively early in the New Year," a source familiar with the group's deliberations told CNN.The language in the report -- which was compiled at the urging of Congress -- is being fine-tuned before it is presented to President Bush next week, but according to the source the work on the findings is basically done.
In the bipartisan panel's view, Bush needs to insist on implementing strict timetables for Iraqi improvements and communicate to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki that there will be substantial troop reductions beginning in January.
While not providing a specific timetable for withdrawal -- which Bush opposes -- the group suggests major combat units be deployed "over time" to what the source described as "out of the bull's eye."
Cut and crawl.
Nuance, kids. Impose impotence as foreign policy.
Who cares what the ISG says? Bush has already as much as flatly stated that unless he likes the sound of it, he'll gleefully ignore their recommendations. Unless Congress (or some other conflict) forces a change, our troops will be in Iraq, at the current levels, untel the next presidency. Period. Anyone who thinks otherwise, or believes the ISG has any influence on Bush whatsoever, has been asleep the last 6 years.
Posted by: legion at November 30, 2006 01:42 PM
