Hail the Conquering Hero

General Odierno has returned:

Nevertheless, the General believes that the "window of opportunity" for political progress will not remain open forever. He is hopeful that recent efforts on de-Baathification and amnesty will aid reconciliation. He believes that, over time, Americans will be doing less fighting and more economic development and job creation (worrying more about the "environment" than the "enemy").

He recognizes that substantial numbers of Americans will be over there for 9-10 years absent a change in political direction. Yet, he acknowledged that the long-run sustainability of the Army is a big concern of his.

General Odierno, a huge, bald bear of a man, was asked about a possible Democratic president who might want to draw down American forces in Iraq. The General responded that he would hope that a complete military and policy assessment would be completed before any final decisions were made. He was not asked and did not raise the issue of the trade-offs with the war in Afghanistan.

My question is:

Since the counterinsurgency isn't over, why have we withdrawn him from the battlefield?