US President George W. Bush announced on Thursday a partial
troops pullback from Iraq by next summer, while warning a full
withdrawal could endanger the Iraqi government's survival.
"We must help Iraq defeat those who threaten its future and also
threaten ours," Bush said in a prime-time televised address to the
nation.
The president said 2,200 Marines are coming home immediately and
will not be replaced, and an Army brigade of 3,500 will be out of
Iraq by Christmas.
These units were already scheduled to come home, but they will
not be replaced.
Calling the speech a "return on success," the president said he
will withdraw five brigades by mid-July, approximately 23,000
troops, leaving about 137,000 US troops in place by next
summer.
"The principle guiding my decisions on troop levels in Iraq is
return on success," Bush said.
"The more successful we are, the more American troops can return
home. ... Our success in meeting these objectives now allows us to
begin bringing some of our troops home."
While Bush attempts to portray the redeployment as a troop
withdrawal, there will actually be 7,000 more troops in Iraq next
summer than there were before Bush deployed additional forces to
Iraq in January as part of a troop surge plan to quell sectarian
violence.
In his over 16-minute address, Bush also noted that any troop
pullback will be heavily conditioned on stability in Iraq -- far
from the rapid withdrawal of troops wanted by Democratic leaders in
Congress.
Bush also attempted to convince the public he is applying
pressure on Iraqi national leaders to work together to achieve
political reconciliation.
"The government has not met its own legislative benchmarks, and
in my meetings with Iraqi leaders, I have made it clear that they
must," Bush said.
(Xinhua News Agency September 14, 2007)
