US begins draw-down in Iraq

The first major pullout of American forces has begun —- a 5,000-troop brigade that will take overall numbers to 157,000 by mid-December. This is a page 8 story in the Times , and maybe I missed whatever fanfare surrounded this during the week, but it seems significant to me.

A fine counterpoint to this has been the waffling rhetoric from all corners about the “improved” situation in Iraq, and as such this withdrawal (at long last) of First Cavalry Division’s Third Brigade Combat Team is a difficult item for parties to digest, with the White House and its opponents trying to find the right tone to take with their frightened and exhausted constituencies.