IRAQ STUDY GROUP RECOMMENDS "GRADUAL PULLBACK"

President Bush meeting with the Study Group in July of this year. Photo from: www.whitehouse.gov

The New York Times is reporting that the Iraq Study Group has reached a consensus on Wednesday on a final report that will call for a “gradual pullback” of the 15 American combat brigades now in Iraq but they stop short of setting a firm timetable for their withdrawal.

The report was unanimously approved by the 10-member, bipartisan panel, led by James A. Baker and Lee Hamilton. The Study Groups report will be delivered to President Bush next Monday.

“I think everyone felt good about where we ended up,” one person involved in the commission’s debates said after the group ended its meeting. “It is neither ‘cut and run’ nor ‘stay the course.’”

“Those who favor immediate withdrawal will not like it,” the commission member said, but it also “deviates significantly from the president’s strategy.” from the NYT

As the commission wound up two and a half days of deliberation in Washington, the group said in a public statement only that a consensus had been reached and that the report would be delivered on Dec. 6 to President Bush, Congress and the American public. Members of the commission were warned by Mr. Baker and Mr. Hamilton not to discuss the contents of the report.

That warning went well eh?

To see the full report from the New York Times: CLICK HERE