US, UK to withdraw from Iraq

Reuters Alertnet reports tht a leaked memo "from Britain's Defence Ministry says the British and U.S. governments are planning to reduce their troop levels in Iraq by more than half by mid-2006."

"The memo said Washington planned to cut its forces to 66,000 from about 140,000 by early 2006.

"Emerging U.S. plans assume 14 out of 18 provinces could be handed over to Iraqi control by early 2006," the memo said."

Of course, the Iraqi military will not be ready by then, but this is going to be a Vietnam-style bugout. We leave, Vietnam Iraq collapses into civil war - tough. We'll be gone. Their problem, not ours.

It also has to be done mostly before the November 2006 Congressional elections. The Republican Party is perfectly happy to abandon Iraq too early if it means they retain the control of the Congress.