Looks like "America" (and I mean the U.S.) is going to phase out out of the messy, tragic war in Iraq and move over to bringing democracy to Afghanistan.... will Pakistan be next? Anyone there taking any notice, or is the "circus" keeping you all enthralled? After Oil, now there´ll be even more business for the weapon industry.... one of the largest industries in the U.S. and U.K.
More in the New York Times (9 Sept. 2008)

..........Mr. Bush accepted a consensus set of recommendations presented last week from Gen. David H. Petraeus, the senior Iraq commander; Lt. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, acting commander of the military’s Central Command; Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, according to Pentagon and White House officials.

Mr. Bush will also announce a decision to increase American force levels in Afghanistan by about 4,500 troops, according to the draft of the speech.

“The president’s decision paves the way for us to get even more troops out of Iraq this year and into Afghanistan,” said Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary. “So the progress our forces are making in Iraq continues to pay big dividends for the commanders in Afghanistan."

A Marine battalion that was scheduled for service in Iraq will instead enter Afghanistan by November. And in January, an Army combat brigade that had been scheduled for service in Iraq will deploy instead to Afghanistan.

The president’s speech also highlights decisions to vastly increase the size of the Afghan National Army, which will grow from its current size of 60,000 troops to 120,000, beyond the 80,000 goal of previous plans. If the progress in Iraq continues, Mr. Bush’s speech says, additional reductions would be possible in the first half of 2009.

Mr. Bush will also highlight the order reducing to 12 months the current 15-month combat tours for Army forces in Iraq, which he will say will “ease the burden on our forces, and make life easier for the military families that support them.”