Sorry, wrong again.
"Marines end Iraq mission as Army begins accelerated withdrawal"
It took the Pentagon 4 months to develop plans from Obama's Jan 21 order. !6 months from when withdrawal plans were ready has the last of the combat troops out by Aug. 2010.
It started under Bush
Bush announces withdrawal of 8,000 US troops from Iraq | World news | guardian.co.uk
eorge Bush will today announce the withdrawal of 8,000 combat troops from Iraq and an increase in US forces in Afghanistan.
In remarks prepared for delivery to the US National Defence University, and released by the White House late last night, the US president bracketed Pakistan with the other two countries as major battlegrounds in the so-called war on terror.
The troop cut for Iraq will probably be Bush's last major decision in a highly unpopular war that has seen his ratings plummet.
There are around 146,000 US forces in Iraq. A marine battalion, of about 1,000 troops, would go home on schedule in November and not be replaced. An army brigade of between 3,500 and 4,000 troops would leave in February. About 3,400 support forces will also go home over the next few months.
As for Afghanistan, Bush will send roughly 4,500 troops to face a resurgent Taliban. More than half of Bush's address will be devoted to Afghanistan as he outlines a "quiet surge" of additional American forces there, bringing the US presence to nearly 31,000.
"For all the good work we have done in that country, it is clear we must do even more," Bush said.
The US president announced that a marine battalion scheduled to go to Iraq in November would go to Afghanistan instead, and that would be followed by an army combat brigade. His speech also highlights decisions to vastly increase the size of the Afghan national army, which will grow from its current size of 60,000 troops to 120,000, instead of 80,000.