Iraq exit on the agenda

[tocqueville]

Iraq exit on the agenda
By Jim Lobe


WASHINGTON - Growing pessimism about averting civil war in Iraq as well as concerns that the US military presence there may itself be fueling the insurgency and Islamist extremism worldwide, have spurred a spate of new calls for the United States to withdraw its 140,000 troops sooner rather than later.

Though resolutions to establish at least a timeline for withdrawal have so far gained the support of only about a quarter of the members of Congress, the absence of tangible progress in turning back the insurgency is adding to fears on Capitol Hill that the administration's hopes of stabilizing the situation, let alone giving birth to a pro-Western democracy in the heart of the Arab world, are delusory.

"In January, we had Congressional staff hanging up on us when we called to say that we want to discuss shifting US policy from more guns and more troops towards withdrawal,” said Jim Cason, communications director of the lobby group Friends Committee on National Legislation. ”Now they want to talk about it.”

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GG27Ak01.html