US Troop Withdrawal Before 2006 Mid-Term Elections

From Juan Cole:

Rumors are flying in Cairo that the US is asking Arab countries to send troops to Iraq to prepare the way for a US withdrawal. This quest is said to underlie the mission of Vice President Richard Bruce Cheney to Egypt and other Arab states beginning Sunday.

I can't help wondering how Bush is going to fram this ignoble retreat. Sure, there will still be puppets in place and massive US bases supported by US airstrikes whenever and wherever they please. But how in God's name will they be able to sell this to the US public as anything other than a massive, criminally incompetent failure?

I assume that Cheney is pressuring Arab regimes by saying "We will pull out if you go in and cover our asses." That lets Bush & Co. tell US voters that Arabs have now taken control of the situation (and any further descent into chaos will be blamed on them). But what's in it for the Arabs? Military deals? Higher oil prices? Access to Iraq's resources?