U.S. forces in Iraq should be reduced significantly, according to a new study on Iraq's security forces that inflamed debate in Congress on how quickly that can happen without hurling the country into chaos.
Facing a brewing rebellion among moderates from both parties, Democratic leaders have signaled they are open to a more bipartisan approach to Iraq that would force the Bush administration to begin publicly planning for troop withdrawals but could stop short of mandating a firm timeline.
Two-thirds of people questioned around the world want US-led troops to pull out of Iraq within a year, but fewer than half believe that they will ever leave, according to a poll published Friday.
As of Thursday, Sept. 6, 2007, at least 3,752 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes seven military civilians. At least 3,065 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.
The US military should cut its presence in Iraq to look less like an "occupying force" but Congress should not impose a withdrawal deadline, a new report on the unpopular war said Thursday.
The number of U.S. troops in Iraq has climbed to a record high of 168,000 and is moving toward a peak of 172,000 in the coming weeks — a level that could extend into December, a senior military official said Thursday.
War And Politics: Just weeks ago, hopes were high that the Democrats would mature a little, and even play a positive role in winning the war in Iraq. In the past couple of days, those hopes have been dashed.
Iraq only has a third of the doctors it needs because killings and kidnappings of the medical professionals prompted many to leave the country, its military surgeon general said Thursday.
Findings and recommendations by recent studies on the Iraq war:
Leading Republicans in Congress on Thursday declared that troop withdrawal legislation should be scrapped because the United States has made significant progress in the Iraq war, just as Democrats were resuming efforts to bring soldiers home.