Rays of Hope for Iraq

Three big things happened on Iraq this week. They could mean the beginning of the end of the war.

1. Iraqis want U.S. Troops out. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki unexpectedly spoke out this past week in favor of withdrawal.

2. As a result, the "endless war agreement" President Bush has been pushing fell through. This week, the Washington Post reported that that agreement has fallen through—Iraqi leaders are putting their feet down and demanding a much shorter agreement.

3. And now even the Pentagon is considering faster timelines. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon's top military officer said today that he is likely to recommend further troop reductions in Iraq this fall.

According to reporter Michael Hirsh at Newsweek, the Pentagon will recommend a big drawdown of troops—suggesting "that U.S. forces be reduced to as few as 50,000 by the spring of 2009, down from about 150,000 now."

In other words, it's now clear: Most Americans are for a timeline, and so are most Iraqis. And even experts in the Pentagon agree.

[Excerpt of article by Eli Pariser, MoveOn.org]