ARTICLE: "UK close to agreement with US on reducing role of troops in Iraq," by James Blitz and Stephen Fidler, Financial Times, 19 September 2007, p. 1.

Interesting precusor perhaps.

This is the Petraeus deal:

1) intervene when sectarian violence gets too high

2) maintain supply lines out of country

3) train the Iraqis.

Add the anti-AQI ops and you get close to our long-term package, with the short-term variant being a focus on border security vis-a-vis Iran (which, if we're smart, works both ways to start some self-incentivized buy-in from Iran).

So you see, even with the Brits' "departure," we're looking at 5,000 soldiers giving us a preview of coming attractions.