Preparing for a Drawdown

As we discussed briefly last week, it would appear that the White House and the Pentagon are beginning to quietly lay the foundations for a significant withdrawal of coalition forces from Iraq. The LATimes reports this morning that President Bush will give a speech on Wednesday in which he plans to "herald the improved readiness of Iraqi troops, which he has identified as the key condition for pulling out US forces."

The entire article is worth reading, and contains some quotes from a "former top Pentagon official" that are quite intriguing indeed. He told the paper there is a "growing consensus" that a withdrawal of around 40,000 coalition troops before next November is likely, and that further decreases would be implemented if all went well.