U.S. lays groundwork for Iraq troop withdrawal

"WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is laying the groundwork for beginning a withdrawal from Iraq, even as it is weighing the risk of moving so quickly that Iraqi security forces collapse without U.S. support.

The benefits of a U.S. drawdown are pretty clear. Fewer troops would likely mean fewer casualties and less strain on the Army and Marine Corps, which already are stretched thin. And it would lessen the degree to which the presence of foreign forces fuels an anti-U.S. insurgency.

There are now about 138,000 U.S. troops in Iraq in a war with dwindling popularity among American voters."
MSNBC