U.S. Forces Prepare For Withdrawal But Questions Remain In Iraq

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Tasia Richards, right, examines munitions found on a river bank in the Arab Jabour district of Baghdad, Iraq, Feb. 16, 2009. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Daniel Owen

From CNN:

(CNN) -- Now that President Obama has set the timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, the debate has begun over its possible consequences.

Does it provide enough time for Iraqis to forge a functioning government and an economy that benefits everyone? And if it doesn't, could a civil war be the result?

The plan, as outlined in a February 27 speech by Obama, calls for most U.S. troops to leave Iraq by August 2010. A "transitional force" of 35,000 to 50,000 troops will remain in the country to assist Iraqi security forces, protect Americans and fight terrorism, Obama said. Track Obama's First 100 Days

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My Comment: A lot can happen in the next 19 months. I can only hope that in the end .... Iraq chooses the peaceful society that it deserves .... and that the loss of life to reach it was worth it.