the rix mix

It's a dangerous folly for a president or a commanding general to predict troop reductions a year in advance (even with conditions) as a way of placating a nation that wants those reductions much sooner if not right away. It creates false hopes. It's also an act of desperation. This kind of "marketing" is like when a store increases the price of something then promises a coupon that only reduces the cost to the old price. But it's a bloody war, not a product.