I was flipping channels a few minutes ago. Faux News had a “Breaking News” banner below their bobble-head anchor of the hour, trumpeting that Petraeus’ Iraq report was calling for a 30,000 troop reduction by next summer.
I switched to C-Span and started watching the general’s questioning in the Senate. Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island asked Petraeus whether the drawdown had anything at all to do with progress in Iraq, or whether it was because we couldn’t maintain that number of troops beyond that point without extending tours of duty beyond 15 months. Petraeus first tried to dodge the question by claiming ignorance about the strength of our reserve forces, but then more or less conceded Reed’s point.
So guess which way the loyal Bushies over at Faux News are spinning it? Here’s a couple of alternative Iraqi realities, from our Brit allies:
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2950298.ece
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2947410.ece