Early Exit for Some Troops in Iraq

Most troops dream of being home in time for the winter holidays, but some will now be home in time for Halloween: The United States is speeding up its military withdrawal from Iraq, bringing an extra 4,000 troops home before the end of October. That will reduce the total number of soldiers in Iraq from 124,000 to 120,000. Testifying on the hill yesterday, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. Raymond Odierno, said troop levels are on pace to fall to 115,000 by the end of the year, and to roughly 50,000 by mid-2010.