Iraq withdrawal
No, it's not as sweeping or sudden as many had hoped while President Barack Obama was on the campaign trial.
But Obama's plan to withdraw from Iraq is appropriately cautious and reasonably sensitive to conditions within the country.
Last week the war celebrated its sixth anniversary, making it one of the longest in U.S. history. Yet the war's length does not justify simply leaving the country high and dry after years of U.S. intervention.
Obama's plan strikes a fine balance between the need to depart and the need to support the Iraq military and government.
As Obama mentioned during his campaign and while in office, U.S. policy in Iraq needs to be framed in terms of other national interests, including the increased need for troops in Afghanistan. Iraq military and political gains during the past two years make possible a reasonably safe withdrawal.
All the same, the terms of this withdrawal need to be shaped by military expertise and conditions on the ground. Obama can say confidently that the U.S. needs to start in the direction of leaving Iraq, but the optimal terms of the departure are challenging to pinpoint. This still is a substantive policy shift; Obama is setting a different objective than the Bush administration.
Obama does and should rely heavily on this advice of his military advisers. Gen. David H. Petraeus and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates both have stated that they are comfortable with Obama's 19-month timeframe, which will withdraw about 90,000 of 142,000 troops by August 2010. It's likely a 35,000 to 50,000-troop residual force would remain.
This is longer than the 16-month withdrawal Obama endorsed on the campaign trail, but it reflects his willingness to consider seriously the counsel of his advisers. Many military officials have voiced concern about a more abrupt departure.
The 19-month timeframe allows for a more cautious assessment of ground conditions while still removing troops.
The residual force has drawn the ire of Congressional Democrats, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. But the residual force will primarily aid the Iraqi army, and its size is a bulwark against destabilization within the country.
Again, if conditions remain steady, Obama can reduce military aid to Iraq. But for now, the residual force should be an effective insurance policy against rapid degeneration - an essential part of responsible withdrawal.
