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Biking Out of Iraq

As the news out of Afghanistan increases, so correspondingly, does the reporting out of Iraq diminish even more. That there are increasing sectarian bombings in the country - with large numbers of deaths and injury - hardly rates any media coverage.

One can't help be left with the impression that what the Coalition of the Willing would have us all believe is that things are going along pretty well now in Iraq. If only it were so!

TomDispatch.com in a posting "Biking Out of Iraq" details where things are at:

"The Bush administration invaded Iraq in March 2003 with a force of approximately 130,000 troops. Top White House and Pentagon officials like Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz were convinced that, by August, those troops, welcomed with open arms by the oppressed Iraqis, would be drawn down to 30,000-40,000 and housed in newly built, permanent military bases largely away from the country's urban areas. This was to be part of what now is called a "strategic partnership" in the Middle East.

Almost five and a half years later, the United States still has approximately 130,000 troops in Iraq. Top administration officials are now talking about "modestly accelerated" rates of troop withdrawal, if all goes well. By August 2010, the Obama administration expects to have only 30,000-50,000 troops housed mainly on American mega-bases largely away from urban areas, part of a special American/Iraqi strategic partnership in the region.

This passes for progress in Iraq."

Continue reading here.

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