For months, President Bush has said he would wait for the upcoming progress report on the “surge” in Iraq before deciding on future action:

[B]y respecting the command structure, I’m going to wait for David to come back — David Petraeus to come back and give us the report on what he sees. And then we’ll use that data, that — his report to work with the rest of the military chain of command, and members of Congress, to make another decision, if need be.

Yet, it now appears the White House has already made its decision on Iraq in advance of the report.

In an interview with the USA Today editorial board published today, White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten was asked whether there will be a substantial commitment of U.S. troops in Iraq at the beginning of 2009. Bolten replied, “it partly depends on the, on your definition of ’substantial.” Bolten went on to say that, “I don’t think that any realistic observer thinks that by the time the president leaves office in 2009 it’ll be possible — safely — to get all or even most of the American troop presence out.”

Bolten is misleading on both counts. Time and again, the White House has repeatedly hinted at their intent to “draw down troops from Iraq,” only to instead maintain or increase the number of forces there.

Moreover, many “realistic observers” do believe it is possible “to get all or even most of the American troop presence out.” A new report authored by former Assistant Secretary of Defense Lawrence Korb and other military analysts at the Center for American Progress demonstrates that an “orderly and safe withdrawal is best achieved over a 10- to 12-month period.”

Bolten has it backwards: withdrawing from Iraq by 2009 would be safe; it’s continuing to follow the misguided policies of the Bush White House that would be truly dangerous.

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