Study Group Recommendations - Troop Withdrawal

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 03:55:34 GMT

clipped by: earnric

Announce a plan for American forces to begin pulling back, whether the Iraqis are ready or not, to signal to the Iraqis that Washington would not prop up the Iraqi government with military forces endlessly.

Gradually pull back the 15 American combat brigades now in Iraq, starting next year and ending by the first quarter of 2008. Afterward, American combat forces could be deployed “only in units embedded with Iraqi forces.” While numbers are still approximate, phased withdrawal of combat troops over the next year would leave 70,000 to 80,000 American troops in the country, compared with about 150,000 now, for a long time to come.

Special operations forces would remain to battle Al Qaeda in Iraq.

Link American withdrawal to the performance of the Iraqi military, leaving open the possibility that American troops would stay longer if the Iraqi government takes on the militias, but threatening accelerated withdrawal if the Iraqi government fails to act decisively and control the violence.

Significantly increase the number of American military personnel supporting and embedded with Iraqi troops. As this proceeds, United States combat forces can begin leaving Iraq.

“The Iraqi government should accelerate assuming responsibility for Iraqi security by increasing the number and quality of Iraqi Army Brigades.”

Tags: iraq, troops, study, group

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Study Group Recommendations - Troop Withdrawal