We’ve hashed over the desireability of either milestones or a timetable for pursuing the war in Iraq quite a bit here in the last few days. Apparently we’re not the only ones thinking that way:
WASHINGTON (CNN) — The top U.S. commander in Iraq has submitted a plan to the Pentagon for withdrawing troops in Iraq, according to a senior defense official.
Gen. George Casey submitted the plan to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. It includes numerous options and recommends that brigades — usually made up of about 2,000 soldiers each — begin pulling out of Iraq early next year.
The proposal comes as tension grows in both Washington and Baghdad following a call by a senior House Democrat to bring U.S. troops home and the deaths of scores of people by suicide bombers in two Iraqi cities.
[…]
Rumsfeld has yet to sign Casey’s withdrawal plan but, the senior defense official said, implementation of the plan, if approved, would start after the December 15 Iraqi elections so as not to discourage voters from going to the polls.
The plan, which would withdraw a limited amount of troops during 2006, requires that a host of milestones be reached before troops are withdrawn.
Top Pentagon officials have repeatedly discussed some of those milestones: Iraqi troops must demonstrate that they can handle security without U.S. help; the country’s political process must be strong; and reconstruction and economic conditions must show signs of stability.
Emphasis mine.
I’m not surprised that they’re considering contingency plans. The Pentagon formulates contingency plans for all sorts of things. I doubt that this is particularly new.
I continue to be amazed at what terrible communicators the Bush Administration folks have been. I honestly don’t see that publishing, repeating, and re-emphasizing milestones for success in Iraq would compromise operational security in any way. Perhaps I’m naive. It wouldn’t have the adverse effects that promulgating an actual schedule would have. And it would certainly end the widespread perception that they don’t have a plan at all.
