Democrats varied on Iraq withdrawal plans

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WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- While vocal Democrats say U.S. forces should be withdrawn from Iraq, many party foreign policy leaders are taking stances much like the administration's.

The Washington Post polled high-profile Democrats with strong foreign policy credentials and found only one with a hard plan for what a Democratic-controlled White House should do. Some did suggest an immediate pullout but most wanted to be more cautious on troop movements, the Post said.

Carter administration national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski told the newspaper U.S. forces should be removed "rapidly" -- and certainly by the end of next year. He would keep U.S. forces in nearby Kuwait as a buffer.

Others said the setting of a timetable for withdrawal would be wrong and any decisions made must reflect conditions in Iraq.

Clinton administration Secretary of State Madeleine Albright pointed to the political conundrum of the overall situation, telling the Post: "The American military is both the problem and the solution. They are a magnet (for insurgents) but they're also helping with security."

The Bush administration has taken a position that any U.S. troop drawdown would come only when Iraqi forces are well-trained enough to protect the country.