House: next September, regardless.
The House voted 218 to 212 for a binding measure requiring the president to bring most American combat troops home from Iraq by September 2008.
Senate: next March or maybe September, regardless.
By a vote of 50 to 48, with a few crucial votes shifting in favor of the Democratic position, the Senate rejected a Republican effort to strip from the military spending bill any mention of a withdrawal date. The legislation will now move forward with a provision to begin a gradual withdrawal of American troops from Iraq within 120 days of the measure’s enactment, with a nonbinding goal of pulling out by March 31, 2008.
Gen. Barry McCaffrey US Army, Retired: 36 months.
We have very little time left. This President will have the remainder of his months in office beleaguered by his political opponents to the war. The democratic control of Congress and its vocal opposition can actually provide a helpful framework within which our brilliant new Ambassador Ryan Crocker can maneuver the Maliki administration to understand their diminishing options. It is very unlikely that the US political opposition can constitutionally force the President into retreat. However, our next President will only have 12 months or less to get Iraq straight before he/she is forced to pull the plug. Therefore, our planning horizons should assume that there are less than 36 months remaining of substantial US troop presence in Iraq. The insurgency will continue in some form for a decade. This suggests the fundamental dilemma facing US policymakers.
Our men and women actually in harm’s way: when we’re done.
From Blackfive:
I haven’t received one troop email that supports the Democrat position of cut and run.
A generous H/T to Lex who pointed me to General McCaffrey’s report, a very interesting read. The link is to his original report not the WaPo analysis of it – for obvious reasons.
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