Obama Troop Withdrawal Plan Expected Soon

By Anne E. Kornblut
President Obama could outline his concrete plan for withdrawing troops from Iraq as early as this Friday, when he travels to North Carolina to give a speech, an administration official said Tuesday.

White House officials pushed back at reports that Obama had already decided to remove all combat troops by August of 2010, saying the president was still holding meetings with military leaders on the necessary strength of the U.S. forces. The Associated Press reported that Obama had decided to end the war 19 months into his administration, which would be three months later than he promised during the presidential campaign.

But administration officials -- while remaining noncommittal -- said Obama was getting close to making his final plans, and said the expected a decision and announcement in the next few days.