General Discussion

This is great.  I can't wait to see how this turns out.  It's like a litmus test to see if the Bush administration means what they say.  The Iraqi's want their sovereignty back, let them have it.  I wonder if Bush will say he "knows better".  He is the self proclaimed  "Decider" of America you know.  Not us anymore.

Iraq insists on withdrawal timetable for US troops

 Email this Story

(AP) U.S. Army Sgt. John Orem, right, and Staff Sgt. Eric Atkinson, left, from 4th Squadron, 2nd... Full Image

 

BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraq's national security adviser said Tuesday his country will not accept any security deal with the United States unless it contains specific dates for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces.

The comments by Mouwaffak al-Rubaie were the strongest yet by an Iraqi official about the deal now under negotiation with U.S. officials. It came a day after Iraq's prime minister first said publicly that he expects the pending troop deal with the United States to have some type of timetable for withdrawal.

President Bush has said he opposes a timetable. The White House said Monday it did not believe al-Maliki was proposing a rigid timeline for U.S. troop withdrawals.

U.S. officials had no immediate comment Tuesday on al-Rubaie's statement.

Al-Rubaie spoke to reporters after briefing Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Najaf on the progress of the government's security efforts, and the talks.

"Our stance in the negotiations underway with the American side will be strong ... We will not accept any memorandum of understanding that doesn't have specific dates to withdraw foreign forces from Iraq," al-Rubaie said.

Some type of agreement between the United States and Iraq is needed to keep U.S. troops in Iraq after a U.N. mandate expires at year's end.

Iraq's government has felt increasingly confident in recent weeks about its authority and the country's improved stability, and Iraqi officials have sharpened their public stance in the negotiations considerably in just the last few days.

Violence in Iraq has fallen to its lowest level in four years. The change has been driven by the 2007 buildup of American forces, the Sunni tribal revolt against al-Qaida in Iraq and crackdowns against Shiite militias and Sunni extremists.

Bush aint gonna like that imo

 :)

Bring our lads home. As a peactime vet I hate reading about the meat grinder that they are going through.

No compassion for Bush here? think about how much work and time it takes to make a timetable. and how lousy the security deal is when he wants their whole country.

a timetable is aimed at preventing war! how terrible

What kind of hack would make such a proclamation?!

Oh, wait . . . . it's their national security advisor.

Looks like the war has been won. Congrats to the U.S. military and the Bush administration for the victory. Time to go.

Not so fast, don't we have to discredit this guy's opinion in some way? I mean, it is election season and all.

Hmm I am confused.  If Iraq can take over their country's security and they have political Stability, doesn't that mean that the Surge worked? 

No it couldn't be that could it?  We couldn't of actually succeeded in making Iraq a safer environment without a ruthless dictator in charge? 

If we sign a new SOFA before the election and agree to a withdrawal does that take a lot of wind out of Obama's sails?  I mean a huge part of his election is that he was always against the war and the war is wrong and we can't win, but wouldn't this mean we won?

Originally posted by Cabe2323

If we sign a new SOFA before the election and agree to a withdrawal does that take a lot of wind out of Obama's sails?  I mean a huge part of his election is that he was always against the war and the war is wrong and we can't win, but wouldn't this mean we won?

Yes, the surge worked. The war has been won. Iraq is now a democracy. The Bush administration is responsible for all of it.

Now, can we bring the troops home please?

Obama voted for the bill that increased military spending and funded the "surge". 

I would think that the Iraq War ending would take the wind out of John McCain's sail.  Now there is no War to trust his millitary experience with.  What do you have left after that? 

An old white guy married to a really rich wife that doesn't know how to use the internet.