I'll repeat that I'd like to see three
With a paratrooper brigade in Italy, a Marine expeditionary unit afloat, and prepositioned equipment for two Army heavy brigades and a Marine brigade in the region, we could quickly reinforce our troops in Iraq in a crisis to a strong fighting force (with superb assistance from the Navy and Air Force, of course).
Could fewer than what I want work? Well, my number isn't written in stone (or calculated with rigor). Indeed, I'd rather keep the current amount in Iraq for now. But I'm scaling back for reality's sake. If we retain only 10,000 (with maybe only a single advise and assist brigade in northern Iraq), that's better than nothing and will certainly reduce the chances of failure. And even keeping the current amount doesn't guarantee success. Again, it is about reducing the chances of failure and reducing the hope of enemies that they can even try to win with a reduced American presence.
But for all the apparent acceptance that American troops should stay, it is June and we've received no request from the Iraqi government to stay. If we're not asked, it won't happen.