U.S. Considers
Increasing Pace of Iraq
Pullout

By STEVEN LEE MYERS, NY Times
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is
considering the withdrawal of additional combat forces from Iraq beginning in September,
according to administration and military officials, raising the prospect of a
far more ambitious plan than expected only months ago.
Such a withdrawal would be a striking reversal from the nadir of the war in
2006 and 2007.
One factor in the consideration is the pressing need for additional American
troops in Afghanistan,
where the Taliban and other fighters have
intensified their insurgency and inflicted a growing number of casualties on
Afghans and American-led forces there.