Mr. Khalilzad said he and the American commander in Iraq, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., would began talks with the Iraqis in the coming weeks on the topic, but reiterated that any reduction would depend on progress in Iraq. "We will adjust our forces, but we'll do it based on conditions, and the condition is that Iraqis can take care of themselves," he said. "The next five to six months are critical for this government."
Dec. 14 2005 NYT:
The election, Mr. Bush said, would be followed by ''days of uncertainty'' and perhaps weeks of vote counting that could leave the outcome unknown until next month. He made no claim that the vote on Thursday would allow the United States to start reducing its military presence. Instead, he alluded obliquely to a feeling among many foreign policy analysts and some administration officials that it could be six months before it was possible to say whether the Iraqis had established a workable government that could lead to a gradual American disengagement.
(tip from reader d)