After Zarqawi: A Drawdown of Troops?

The killing of al-Zarqawi deals a blow to al-Qaeda and gives the White House a much-needed dose of good news from Iraq. But the insurgency is not dead, which still leaves open the question of when the U.S. can start bringing the troops home

Sometimes even presidents have to wait for the news. George W. Bush was meeting with aides in the Oval Office last Wednesday when he turned to National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley for an update on Iraq. "Do you have news for me?" Bush asked. Hadley did. "Sir, I'd like to talk to you alone," Hadley said, clearing the room of other aides. When one of them returned, Bush let the aide in on the secret: "I think we got Zarqawi."

If he sounded a little stunned, it wasn't surprising. The Commander in Chief hasn't had much practice in positive developments in...

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