To the Editor: Max Boot criticizes our report, “Phased Transition: A Responsible Way Forward and Out of Iraq”—which calls for a reduced force of American combat troops and an increase in troops advising the Iraqi security forces—on two counts, one general, one specific [“How Not to Get Out of Iraq,” September]. First, he suggests that our plan was conceived “in response to the overwhelming impetus of public opinion to start bringing soldiers home.” In fact, our proposal is explicitly aimed at serving vital American interests, in particular preventing regional war or genocide and keeping al Qaeda from establishing a safe haven in Iraq.

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