Deadline Set for Withdrawal From Iraq

Hey-
A news story just broke on cnn.com concerning the war in Iraq. The Senate has voted by a narrow margin (52 to 48) to establish a timeline for ending combat missions in Iraq and withdrawing troops from the war-torn country. The bill sets a deadline of March 31, 2008 for all combat missions by U.S. forces to cease and troops to be rotated out of Iraq. The House passed a similar bill setting a deadline of August 31, 2008. The Bush Administration threatened a veto on the Senate bill because of the deadline, something Democrats may not be able to override.
I believe that setting a deadline is a mistake. Yes, this war has dragged on for far too long, but setting a withdrawal date only serves to encourage stronger resistance. It will encourage the terrorists to attempt to push us out of Iraq earlier than our deadlines for propaganda reasons. I do, however, like that the Senate bill includes training goals and suggestions for the New Iraqi Army and other security forces.

The Iraq War began in March of 2003 and has cost the lives of over 3,200 U.S. servicemen.