Kerry's speech calling for and suggesting an exit strategy from Iraq

The Kerry Plan: The Path Forward
This difficult road traveled demands the unvarnished truth about the road ahead.
To those who suggest we should withdraw all troops immediately – I say No. A precipitous withdrawal would invite civil and regional chaos and endanger our own security. But to those who rely on the overly simplistic phrase “we will stay as long as it takes,” who pretend this is primarily a war against Al Qaeda, and who offer halting, sporadic, diplomatic engagement, I also say – No, that will only lead us into a quagmire.
The way forward in Iraq is not to pull out precipitously or merely promise to stay “as long as it takes.” To undermine the insurgency, we must instead simultaneously pursue both a political settlement and the withdrawal of American combat forces linked to specific, responsible benchmarks. At the first benchmark, the completion of the December elections, we can start the process of reducing our forces by withdrawing 20,000 troops over the course of the holidays.
The Administration must immediately give Congress and the American people a detailed plan for the transfer of military and police responsibilities on a sector by sector basis to Iraqis so the majority of our combat forces can be withdrawn. No more shell games, no more false reports of progress, but specific and measurable goals.
It is true that our soldiers increasingly fight side by side with Iraqis willing to put their lives on the line for a better future. But history shows that guns alone do not end an insurgency. The real struggle in Iraq – Sunni versus Shiia – will only be settled by a political solution, and no political solution can be achieved when the antagonists can rely on the indefinite large scale presence of occupying American combat troops.
In fact, because we failed to take advantage of the momentum of our military victory, because we failed to deliver services and let Iraqis choose their leaders early on, our military presence in vast and visible numbers has become part of the problem, not the solution.

Apparently Republicans have ideas too.
Bush: "Let's invade Iraq. It'll be great. Everyone'll love it."

Wow counds like he is actually thinking about the well fair of the US, and Iraq. Good on him!

specific and measurable goals.

Wow counds like he is actually thinking about the well fair of the US, and Iraq. Good on him!

I think there's a better way to pull out of Iraq, and this is going to sound anti-American but it's not at all. Pull out the American troops and send in more troops from other countries.

In all fairness, it's a lot easier to stand up and say what he did when you've LOST the election. And staging a pull-out of Iraq is easier to say than do.

Slight problem there, other countries dont want to go in...

true, I dont think he is denying that, but I dont see any Plans from the administration do you?

I think there's a better way to pull out of Iraq, and this is going to sound anti-American but it's not at all. Pull out the American troops and send in more troops from other countries.

Regardless, politicians say things when they're not in power they wouldn't necessarily do if they were in power. I don't see the point in applauding someone for an orotund pronouncement of the way forward when they have no capacity to deliver.

I aggree, but by publically stating what he just did he is creating more public presure on the goverment to do what is needed, and is being asked for, which is a good thing...

...the American people reelected Bush ...

I had misgivings about John Kerry, but I always thought he would be far more capable of resolving the Iraq mess than Bush.
I don't believe we can reshape the ME for the better. Nor do I believe we have the right.
On a side note.
I wonder what kind of flack Kerry would have gotten for Katrina, if he had been elected?

And Skyhunter, I don't know that: is an accurate representation of what happened.

In all fairness, it's a lot easier to stand up and say what he did when you've LOST the election. And staging a pull-out of Iraq is easier to say than do.
I think there's a better way to pull out of Iraq, and this is going to sound anti-American but it's not at all. Pull out the American troops and send in more troops from other countries.
Think about it.