Oh boy...even RUMMY wanted to reduce troops!

Yes, before he quit, Rumsfeld sent Bush a memo regarding possible solutions to Situation FUBAR. It is supposed to be a very interesting document, and one that has war critics grinning from ear to ear.

In the memo, first reported Saturday by The New York Times on its Web site and titled "Illustrative New Courses of Action," Rumsfeld describes a "range of options" for the White House to consider. Many of them involve sharply drawing down U.S. troop presence in Iraq by mid-2007.

"Recast the U.S. military mission and the U.S. goals (how we talk about them) -- go minimalist," Rumsfeld suggested. For instance, he proposed an accelerated shuttering or consolidation of most U.S. military bases in Iraq.

"We have already reduced from 110 to 55 bases," he wrote. "Plan to get down to 10 to 15 bases by April 2007, and to 5 bases by July 2007."

Another option: withdrawing U.S. forces from vulnerable positions, such as cities and patrols, and moving them to a "Quick Reaction Force" status, in which they would operate from within Iraq and neighboring Kuwait.

Rumsfeld also proposed keeping high-end special operations forces in Iraq to target al-Qaida, death squads, and Iranians, but "drawing down all other Coalition forces," except for key U.S. advisers.

He suggested a new approach in which U.S. forces would only provide security for those provinces or cities that openly request it -- "and that actively cooperate, with the stipulation being that unless they cooperate fully, U.S. forces would leave their province."

In areas where there is continued violence, Rumsfeld proposed that U.S. forces stop helping Iraqis, particularly with reconstruction efforts.

"As the old saying goes, 'If you want more of something, reward it; if you want less of something, penalize it,' " he wrote.

All told, such drawdown efforts would send a strong signal to Iraqis, Rumsfeld said. He described it as "taking our hand off the bicycle seat, so Iraqis know they have to pull up their socks, step up and take responsibility for their country."

Oh my. This is awfully close to what Democrats and other threats to the nation have been suggesting. No wonder Rummy left.