Why this timeline? Notes Bill Kristol: "So why September 2012? Because, one has to conclude, Election Day is November 6, 2012. The September deadline will allow candidate Obama to say that he has completely withdrawn the surge forces, and that we're on our way out of Afghanistan and coming home. The timetable President Obama has set isn't based on military considerations, diplomatic strategies, or financial calculations. It's based on the election calendar of candidate Obama."

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