Say what? The president has listened to the new Iraq progress report and he’s willing to act? Nah… That’s just the propaganda the Bush administration is feeding the media…

AP News reports that “President Bush will tell the nation Thursday evening that he plans to reduce the American troop presence in Iraq by as many as 30,000 by next summer but will condition those and further cuts on continued progress.”

In a 15-minute address from the White House at 9 p.m. EDT, Bush will endorse the recommendations of his top general and top diplomat in Iraq, following their appearance at two days of hearings in Congress, administration officials said. The White House plans to issue a written status report on the troop buildup on Friday, they said.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Bush’s speech is not yet final. Bush was rehearsing and polishing his remarks even as the U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker were presenting their arguments for a second day on Capitol Hill.

In the speech, the president will say he understands Americans’ deep concerns about U.S. involvement in Iraq and their desire to bring the troops home, they said. Bush will say that, after hearing from Petraeus and Crocker, he has decided on a way forward that will reduce the U.S. military presence but not abandon Iraq to chaos, according to the officials.

The address will stake out a conciliatory tone toward Congress. But while mirroring Petraeus’ strategy, Bush will place more conditions on reductions than his general did, insisting that conditions on the ground must warrant cuts and that now-unforeseen events could change the plan.

John Kerry responded to the news on Tuesday saying “bringing home 30,000 troops is too little, too late”….

“Only President Bush would applaud a race back to the starting line when after four years, the finish line should be in sight. It’s the military version of the movie ‘Groundhog Day’ to return to the troop levels before the President launched an ill-advised escalation,” Kerry said. “Rather than the result of progress in Iraq, this announcement merely reflects an attempt to appease an anxious public and put a band-aid on an over-extended military. It doesn’t get the job done. This announcement is too little, too late and I intend to work in Congress to force a change in this disastrous path.”

Kerry is right, sometime next year isn’t good enough. Some “key Republicans” are still seeking a “new path” for Iraq:

For weeks, President Bush has implored Republicans to wait for the report of the commander in the field before making judgments on whether to seek a shift in policy on the war in Iraq.

Now that they have heard Gen. David H. Petraeus, some key Republicans said Tuesday that they would still pursue a shift of mission for United States troops, though they appeared unlikely to join Democrats in trying to set a fixed deadline for withdrawal.

Keep the pressure on… Call Congress – (202) 224-3121.

Filed under: Bush Admin, Democrats, Foreign Policy, In The News, Iraq, John Kerry, Politics, Republicans, Senate | Get Permalink or trackback |