God Puts His Tool Back Into Office

George -

Congratulations . . . You wanted four more years of the Presidency and now you've got it! Oh, by the way, you also get to deal with a growing deficit, increasing health-care costs, rising unemployment, a costly unpopular war, and a growing technology gap between the US and the rest of the developed world.

I wish you all the best of luck and I sincerely hope that you can make it all work out. If you need any help, let me know.

- Shokai

In today's news, Hungary announced today that it would withdraw its 300 troops from Iraq, becoming the latest country in the United States-led coalition to bow to public pressure and prepare to bring its soldiers home.

Spain's Socialist government withdrew its 1,300 troops after it swept into power last March, reversing the commitment of the prior center-right government of Prime Minister José María Aznar. The Dominican Republic withdrew 302 soldiers, Nicaragua 115 and Honduras 370. The Philippines withdrew its 51 in July, a month early, after insurgents took hostage a Filipino truck driver working for a Saudi company. Norway withdrew 155 military engineers, keeping only 15 staff members to help NATO train and equip the Iraqi security forces.

The Netherlands, with 1,400 troops in Iraq, said this week that the latest rotation of troops would be its last contribution. New Zealand is withdrawing its 60 engineers and Thailand said it wanted to bring home its 450 troops. Singapore has reduced its contingent to 33, from 191; Moldova has trimmed its force to 12, from 42. On Wednesday Bulgaria's Defense Ministry said it would reduce its 483 troops to 430 next month.

Poland, the fourth-largest contributor to the international force with 2,400 troops, says it intends to withdraw by the end of next year.