Iraq Withdrawal Begins

On Tuesday, U.S. soldiers in Iraq started pulling back from cities to nearby bases and turning over security to Iraqi police and soldiers. U.S. combat missions in Iraq are scheduled to end by August 2010, and all troops must withdraw by 2012. Cato scholar Christopher A. Preble comments, "The withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraqi cities is just the first step in a long process of finally bringing the ruinous Iraq war to a close. It's what Americans want. It's what Iraqis want. Most importantly, it's the right thing to do."