Republicans may pull plug on the war by September

Last night while watching the Chris Matthews Show, I was somewhat surprised to hear NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell reveal that General Patraeus held a strategy meeting with Republican leaders.  In this meeting, GOP lawmakers were concerned that the escalation would not work.  Patraeus talked Republicans into giving him until August to make progress in Iraq.  Mitchell cited a Republican that said if Patraeus does not report significant progress, then they will pull the plug on the President's war in the fall.

Unfortunately, I did not record the episode.  So I searched the internet looking for the transcript, and found it at the most obvious place: Think Progress:

“Petraeus went to the Republican caucus and told them, I will have realprogress to you by August,” Mitchell said. The Republicans claim theytold him that after August, they will end their support for the war.“They have told him at a caucus meeting as very, very recently, that ifthere isn’t progress by August — and real progress means not a day ofviolence and a day of sanity — that they will pull the plug.”

They also have the video.

There are more than one-hundred violent incidents in Iraq per day.  I find it highly unlikely that there will be one day with complete peace.  While the escalation might be temporarily reducing violence in Baghdad, attacks have actually increased in the suburbs, with bombings in nearby towns such as Baqouba.