30K BY SEPTEMBER, 2003

I've read different accounts of the unfounded optimism of the Iraq war planning but, until now, the earliest date for a major drawdown I've seen was December, 2003. On Meet the Press, the planners were even more out of touch than that:

MR. RUSSERT: So in April of 2003, General Franks was planning to remove all troops from Iraq by September, other than 30,000?

MR. GORDON: On April 16, 2003, General Franks flew to Baghdad—I was there at the time—and he delivered guidance to his commanders to be prepared—not necessarily to leave, but be, to be prepared to reduce forces down to a division-plus by September, conditions permitting, but it was his assumption and hope that the conditions would allow that.

In Generation Kill, Evan Wright recounts how sectarian violence broke out even before Baghdad officially fell. I guess Franks didn't get the memo.