Obama: We’ll Be (Sort Of) Out of Iraq in 19 Months

A big day for President Barack Obama, as he announced his plan for Iraq:

“As a candidate for President, I made clear my support for a timeline of 16 months to carry out this drawdown, while pledging to consult closely with our military commanders upon taking office to insure that we preserve the gains we’ve made and to protect our troops. These consultations are now complete, and I’ve chosen a timeline that will remove our combat brigades over the next 18 months.”

But is it really a withdrawal? Obama also said that, at the end of those 19 months, the US would still have up to 50,000 troops on the ground in Iraq.

“We will retain a transitional force to carry out three distinct functions: training, equipping, and advising Iraqi security forces as long as they remain non-sectarian; conducting targeted counter-terrorism missions; and protecting our ongoing civilian and military efforts within Iraq. Initially, this force will be made up of 35,000-50,000 troops."

The new plan has drawn opposition from anti-war groups seeking an immediate withdrawal, and even drawn public concerns from high-profile democrats. Here’s House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, speaking shortly before a congressional briefing on the plan:

“I don’t know what the justification is for the presence of 50,000 troops in Iraq. I do think that there’s the need for some, but I don’t think that they all have to be in-country. I think some could be platformed outside…..I’ll just be interested to hear what the president has to say.”

But the plan does have significant support in congress – from republicans. Even Obama’s one-time presidential rival, John McCain, has announced his support.

Click here for the full newscast for Friday, February 27, 2009