The CS Monitor has a story today on the tensions within the military over the pace of the drawdown in Iraq:
The tension between ground commanders and those who provide the forces is age-old. But as Congress and the US public see tangible security gains in Iraq, they now expect the benefits they can yield in terms of troop withdrawals. Petraeus is mindful of the strain on US forces, but he doesn't want to jeopardize the success he's orchestrated on the ground in Iraq, says a senior American officer in Baghdad. "There are of course many that would like to speed up the process to include those that are currently in Iraq," says the official in an e-mail. "However, with that said, there is no desire to rush to failure and to give up the gains that have been made and in many cases with the blood of our fallen and those that have been grievously wounded."
Go read the whole thing, but I think this captures the current situation pretty well. There are commanders whose sole responsibility is to maintain the readiness of U.S. forces, and others, like Petraeus, whose sole responsibility is to secure victory. From a policy standpoint, I think it's pretty clear which is the more important objective.