Sen. Warner advocates troop drawdown

In an effort to get Iraqi leaders to take action to quell the violence in their country, President Bush should authorize the withdrawal of U.S. troops next month, Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) said Thursday.

“Take into consideration the need to send a sharp and clear message throughout the region, to the United States, and one that people can understand,” Warner recommended. He added that such a move would send a message to Iraq’s government and the region that the U.S. commitment is not open-ended and that political progress must be made.

{mosads}The senator added that Bush could reduce the forces in Iraq without endangering the momentum that the troop surge strategy had achieved.

Warner, a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, this week returned from an Iraq trip with panel Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and said their findings mirrored those of a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) that was released earlier in the day.

Unclassified portions of the report show that there have been some improvements in Iraq’s security situation. However, the document also cautioned that the country’s government “will become more precarious over the next six to 12 months.”

President Bush decided to expand the number of combat troops earlier this year to give the Iraqi government breathing space to reach national reconciliation and pass important legislation.

However, the NIE said that “broadly accepted compromises required for sustained security, long-term political progress, and economic development are unlikely to emerge unless there is a fundamental shift in the factors driving Iraqi political and security developments.”

Warner told reporters on Capitol Hill that he felt as though the Iraqi government “let our troops down.”

Bush spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the White House appreciates Warner’s comments but added that no decisions would be made until after Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker deliver their report next month on the progress in the war-torn country.

Warner said he is not suggesting that Bush put together a timetable for withdrawal. Instead, he proposes that the president allow for a limited number of troops at a time to go home and then evaluate the impact of such a move.