Gates sees Iraq exit by 2008

[ECH1969]

The United States won't rush to quit Iraq in the wake of Tuesday's mid-term elections, but it is possible Washington may soon adopt a new strategy of "phased troop withdrawals" leading to an exit before the 2008 presidential elections.

Robert Gates, the former CIA director, who was selected on Wednesday to succeed Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defence, discussed just such a scenario 18 months ago during a seminar at the Panetta Institute at California State University in Monterey.

During a round-table discussion with Leon Panetta, chief of staff to former President Bill Clinton, and Sandy Berger, former national security advisor, Mr. Gates expressed his hope for a relatively rapid withdrawal of U.S. troops. "We all hope that it will be quick," he said.

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=29106598-e003-462d-ac30-eda95800d1b8

[pissedoffprogressive]

1. Did a Reuk set a timeline? Wow

[AIJ Alom]

5. No no no. Benchmarks. We must remember benchmarks.

Now if only president could bench press a ton, we'd be out of Iraq tomorrow.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Yah just in time for the election, i'll bet

[rumpel]

3. so- this is their strategy towards 08

they don't dive a damn about the soldiers or the Iraqis -

so obvious

[last1standing]

4. VICTORY #1

The new Democratic congress has just scored it's first victory over the repubs and they still have two months to go before Pelosi becomes speaker. This is what we voted for!

[NOLADEM]

6. I bet he does. He probably sees it on his job responsibilities list.

[alcibiades_mystery]

7. Roundabout July, eh?

Will they have a ticker tape parade for the troops right through the Republican National Convention?

[anotherdrew]

8. no shit sherlock, we had damn well better be out by '08 n/t

[UCLA Dem]

9. Wow! Its Magic! Just in time for the Pres. election too!!!

[phantom power]

10. Yeah, who could imagine such a wild coincidence...

:puke:

[arewenotdemo]

11. Whoa. I thought the plan was "full speed ahead"?

Has he cleared this with President Cheney?

[TexasLawyer]

12. sounds like "cut and run" to me

[yellowcanine]

13. It walks like a timeline and quacks like a timeline - must be a timeline.

[Tellurian]

14. Bush is going to pose a question to Gates..

That question will be:

If you can tell me HOW we can secure the oil pipeline in Iraq,
I'll withdraw the troops, TOMORROW.

Bush will dump this dilemma in Gates' lap, while smirking;
OK, if you're so smart- You figure it out!

[Solly Mack]

15. lolololololol

imagine that

snicker

[Retrograde]

16. but this isn't "cut and run"

It's different because....ummm...well, you see the Prezdent has a plan, which is to get re-elected...no, wait, he can't run in 2008. Let's start again: this is a strategic phased withdrawal to ensure the election of JEB -oops, I mean, to get Iraq off the front pages before the election so the glorious Republican party can continue its mandate. No, I mean now that the Iraqi situation is stable...

We need a Whitehouse/Real World translator: my brain gets tired trying to figure all this out.

[Quantess]

17. Wasn't the U.S. supposed to be out in mid-2003?

Right after "Mission Accomplished"?
How much time do they need for an exit strategy? Pack up and get out, and call it a victory. Enough is enough.

[bobthedrummer]

18. It's still the BFEE- who was fresh eyes Gates replacement on the

Iraq Study Group, none other than another former Director of Kissinger Associates-Lawrence Eagleburger who was a huge part of the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro/BNL "scandal" that included a covert military high-technology aid package to Iraq.
http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/congress/1992/h920428g.htm

Gates, Poppy, Kissinger, L. Paul Bremer (former Kissinger Chief of Staff)-what has BFEE done for OUR troops in Iraq, which they treasonously helped historically???

[SOS]

19. Here's an exit strategy for Gates:

Province by province referendums.

Should US stay or go?

90% of voters in non-Kurdish provinces will say get out.
They can point the way to Kuwait with their purple fingers.

US stays in provinces where the majority wants them.

Democracy in action.

[electron_blue]

20. LOL, I bet he does. No later than summer 08, I bet

what a joke.

[leesa]

21. This guy's only role will be to hide the evidence of war crimes.

[savemefromdumbya]

22. What has Bush been doing all this time that was 2003 and it's 2006 already!

so much for Bush's no nation building. He's not very good at it.

He's basically not much use at all.

Are we sure that 'Mr Iran Contra Gates' will be approved - I doubt it.