A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FRIEDMAN UNIT

For Immediate Release March 24, 2003
BACKGROUND BRIEFING
BY A SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL
ON THE SUPPLEMENTAL
Presidential HallDwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building
6:10 P.M. EST

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: For all those purposes, the President will be asking for $74.7 billion total. ... Six months, as I say, contemplates a conflict, a period of stabilization in Iraq, and the phased withdrawal of a large number of American forces within that six-month window.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I'm not going to talk about numbers of people, except I will say that the assumptions built in here do include a significant withdrawal or redeployment of troops out of the region well within the six-month period.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: No answer for that question. The Secretary of Defense has right along said that he thought that fighting was likely to last weeks, not months. And I've told you that we do foresee an end to the conflict within the six months, and the beginning of withdrawal of troops. That's about as detailed as I can give you.

Q You said the beginning of withdrawal. But I thought you said earlier that it envisioned a fairly substantial withdrawal before the end of the six months?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: It does. I say at least the beginnings of withdrawal. He's asking whether the fighting could run all through this period.

Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company
The New York Times
August 24, 2003 Sunday Late Edition - Final
SECTION: Section 4; Column 1; Editorial Desk; Pg. 10
LENGTH: 610 words
HEADLINE: A Six-Month Revival Plan for Iraq

In truth, Iraq is staggering ahead, at best, and the administration has yet to show that it has a realistic plan to produce tangible progress over the next six months.

America has not yet lost the peace in Iraq, but it could in the next six months if the Iraqi people do not see concrete benefits from the American occupation.


Copyright 2004 Newark Morning Ledger Co.
All Rights Reserved
The Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey)
January 5, 2004 Monday
INAL EDITIONSECTION: NEWS; Pg. 3
LENGTH: 564 words
HEADLINE: Blair visits Iraq, calls next 6 months critical
BYLINE: ED JOHNSON, ASSOCIATED PRESSDATELINE: BASRA, Iraq

British Prime Minister Tony Blair made a surprise visit to Iraq yesterday, declaring the occupation is at a critical stage with just six months to restore order ahead of the return to self-rule. His top envoy warned that insurgents are growing more sophisticated and planning bigger attacks.Blair, visiting southern Iraq, said security in Iraq would be monitored closely as the U.S.-led coalition prepares to transfer authority to a transitional Iraqi government by July 1. "The important thing is to realize we are about to enter into a very critical six months," the prime minister said on his flight home. "We have got to get on top of the security situation properly and we have got to manage the transition. Both of those things are going to be difficult."

SOURCE: Sen. Biden, Op-Ed, "Time For An Iraq Timetable," The Washington Post, 11/26/05

Sen. Biden Says "We Must Forge...Political Compromise Between Iraqi Factions": "Over the next six months, we must forge a sustainable political compromise between Iraqi factions, strengthen the Iraqi government and bolster reconstruction efforts, and accelerate the training of Iraqi forces."