Iraq: The Possibility of a U.S. Troop Reduction

The New York Times recently reported that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard Meyers believes the U.S. military is "on track" to reduce its troop presence in Iraq in 2006. U.S. officials have hinted at reducing troop strength in Iraq since the Jan. 30 elections there and have said their goal is to hand over security responsibilities for the country to the Iraqis. But this strategy might have less to do with the Pentagon's confidence in the Iraqi security forces' professionalism and skill than it does with Washington's ability to maintain a large occupation force while fighting an insurgency.