Iraq Violence Puts Troop Cuts in Doubt

latimes: The recent explosion of violence in Iraq is forcing a debate inside the Pentagon about whether the U.S. military can proceed with plans to cut the number of troops in Iraq, Defense officials said Monday.

The violence came at a crucial time for the U.S. military: Top generals must decide within weeks whether to carry out a long-anticipated reduction in American troops this summer. Threats of civil war in the country have raised questions about the wisdom of a troop drawdown in the next few months.

"One perspective certainly is that with so much turmoil, how can you possibly think about drawing down at this point?" said a senior Defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Read more

db: It would be a mistake to assume that al Qaeda wants the US to leave Iraq. It would be a bigger mistake to think that the US has any intention of doing so - now or ever.