He May Not Know How, But...

Kerry has reportedly promised to reduce U.S. troop levels in Iraq by next August.

Under pressure to offer a clear alternative to US President George W. Bush, Mr Kerry promised last week to "significantly" draw down the 138,000-strong US force in Iraq within eight months of taking office.

The Massachusetts senator said that using diplomacy to raise more international help and accelerating the training of Iraqi security forces, "it is appropriate to have a goal of reducing our troops over that period time"

The Bush Administration's response is simultaneously true and, given its own artificial (and missed) deadlines for troop reductions, risible:

Bush campaign spokesman Terry Holt said the president had the same goals of replacing US troops with other multinational contingents and beefing up local forces.

But Mr Holt added: "To put an artificial time frame on it is to reveal it as a campaign promise and no more."

Meanwhile, Bush will halve the deficit by the time he leaves office, produce a Palestinian state by 2005, and... Whatever.