Secret Memo Outlines Vast Troop Cut in Iraq

The United States and Britain have outlined plans to withdraw more than half of their troops from Iraq by mid-2006, according to a secret memo written for British Prime Minister Tony Blair by Defense Minister John Reid.

The document, published by Britain’s the Mail on Sunday newspaper and marked “Secret -- UK Eyes Only,” said the U.S. was discussing plans to cut its force -- now nearly 140,000 -- to 66,000 by the middle of next year. Britain would cut its force from 8,500 to 3,000, the memo says.

“Emerging U.S. plans assume 14 out of 18 provinces could be handed over to Iraqi control by early 2006,” the memo said. It made clear, however, that the U.S. military’s timetable for troop cuts was not set in stone, as commanders were divided: “There is, however, a debate between the [Pentagon and U.S. Central Command], who favor a relatively bold reduction in force numbers, and the multinational force in Iraq, whose approach is more cautious.”

Reid did not deny that the memo was genuine, although he said it represented only “prudent planning” for one possible scenario. In Washington, a Pentagon spokesman said officials had not seen the document.

President Bush has repeatedly refused to set a timeline for a troop pullback, saying that to do so would encourage insurgents to wait out the U.S. presence. But the undated memo appears to be the first official document made public that sets a tentative timeline.

Reid, in a statement Sunday following publication of the memo, said the British government had “made it absolutely plain that we will stay in Iraq for as long as is needed.”

“No decisions on the future force posture of UK forces have been taken. But we have always said that it is our intention to hand over the lead in fighting terrorists to Iraqi security forces as their capability increases,” Reid said. “We therefore continually produce papers outlining possible options and contingencies. This is but one of a number of such papers produced over recent months covering various scenarios.”