President Obama spoke on Monday of the progress being made in withdrawing American troops from Iraq, a timetable he set two years ago as a campaign pledge. By the end of August, the American force in Iraq will have shrunk to 50,000 troops, from 144,000. The remaining troops, which will focus on supporting and training Iraqi security forces, are expected to leave by the end of 2011.
Some critics have said Mr. Obama should slow the drawdown to make sure insurgents cannot take advantage of the current political confusion. Will 50,000 troops in an "advise and assist" role be sufficient? What are the risks? Given the political stalemate and other problems, is a complete pullout by the end of 2011 plausible?
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