Thursday, November 30, 2006
ISG recommends gradual U.S. troop pullback
Politics, Security
The co-chairman of a bipartisan panel reviewing U.S. policy options for Iraq says the group has reached a consensus agreement. Former U.S. Congressman Lee Hamilton (Democrat) said the Iraq Study Group would not release its conclusions until December 6. But "The New York Times," quoting people familiar with the deliberations, said the panel would recommend U.S. troops gradually pull back.
The newspaper said the panel's report did not state whether U.S. combat troops should be brought home or pulled back to bases in Iraq or neighboring countries. It also said the panel would stop short of setting a specific timetable for withdrawal. The panel, headed by Hamilton and former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker, has spent months examining alternatives for U.S. policy in Iraq, with some of its members reportedly favoring engaging with Syria and Iran.
The newspaper said the panel's report did not state whether U.S. combat troops should be brought home or pulled back to bases in Iraq or neighboring countries. It also said the panel would stop short of setting a specific timetable for withdrawal. The panel, headed by Hamilton and former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker, has spent months examining alternatives for U.S. policy in Iraq, with some of its members reportedly favoring engaging with Syria and Iran.
