Rising Violence = Falling Troop Numbers?

Violence in Iraqi escalates after only a 12-day period of relative calm. Yet, after only 8 days into that relative calm, Rumsfeld announces troop reductions by “early next year.” Am I being cynical by thinking that this might be a political move at a time when support for the war is waning? Given its track record for spinning the truth, I’d advise folks who are considering holding their breath until this happens to find out when early next year actually is and then waiting until then to start turning purple.