Iraq Government Spokesperson: US Could Be Out By 2011

A deadline should be set for the withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces from Iraq, and the pullout could be done by 2011, an Iraqi government spokesman said Tuesday.

Ali al-Dabbagh said any timetable would depend on "conditions and the circumstances that the country would be undergoing." But he said a pullout within "three, four or five" years was possible.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[lthuedk_1]

Bull. We will be there until the oil runs out. Corporate has invested too much of our money and made too much off of the investment. They own our government and will not permit cutting off the stream.

[INDmind]

What the hell does "could be" mean? Is that like Bush saying Gitmo could close?

[RatgurlSD]

Okay, so when does the withdrawal BEGIN, if it could be done in 3 years?

(probably as soon as Obama takes his oath of office)

[radicalcentrist44]

Has Obama given us a definite date when the last troops will be out of Iraq?

[doofmann02]

I don't think so. But he isn't all over the friggin timeline for the coming century like McCranky:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eejYoz3Nl0

[AtlantaBill]

This news points to one significant conclusion. Senator Obama has shown the judgment and foresight needed in our next potus. Unlike bush and McBush, he recognizes a more important principle: our country is hardly in a position militarily or financially to engage in perpetual nation building abroad. To the contrary, we must remove our troops from this ill-conceived war and refocus our attention on the business of nation building here at home. The neocons and their enablers all demonstrate a mindset based not on reality but on the notion that we must be the world's policemen. A nation in as much debt as we have can hardly continue along this foolish path.

Of the two presidential candidates, only Obama understood the pros and cons of this war at the outset and eloquently warned of the potential consequences. No, not bush, not McCain but only Obama has shown the intellect to lead our country back to greatness. If on the other hand you think the last 8-years have been great progress then McCain is your man.

[mick7191]

What about Afghanistan?

[The Impartial]

You mean "have been great progress" in building up debts, declining economy, and what not!!!" ?

[john85msy]

Come home starting today.

[rextrek]

2011 really? and who pray tell is gonna pay for this..? Another 3yrs of $3 Billion a Month....where's this money coming from?

[mimsnpips]

It's way too long.

As I write this cnn is working the "important" breaking news (ooh aah) about Jesse Jackson and yet another open mike. OMG open mikes go waaay back to that nut Reagan if not further. Oh barf I wrote the 'R' word.

[mamacat]

$12 billion/month, $3 billion/week.

The "fiscally conservative" Republicans have locked us into a scenario where we are forced to pay $3 billion/week, all because they thought it was a good idea to lie to us about WMDs and the urgent requirement of American interests that Saddam Hussein be removed.

Want more of the same? Vote McCain.

[barackobama4prez]

It's like they are endorsing BHO.

[LeonFreilich]

I'M-A-DINNER-JACKET GUY

Among time's mysteries are

This one that's new to man:

Just how did Ringo Starr

Become president of Iran?

[DaOne]

C'mon that's an easy one. He replaced Pete Best. Khomeini didn't like his 4/4 driving beats and was fed up with the rimshots!

[scouserinlondon]

Was at the Cavern the night it happened!!!!!!!!!!!Poor Ringo got heckled..... by all the Pete Best fans.

[MSheppard]

Fascinating that the Iraqis themselves are now essentially endorsing Obama's plan.

And John McCain says, "What?" There goes your last shred of foreign policy credibility, old man.

[111]

They are not essentially endorsing anyone's plan. They are reminding the US and the rest of the world that they are a sovereign nation, independent of the US. They are reminding us that they do not need or want us in their country. They are reminding us that we are there as the guests of the Iraqi government. The UN order authorizing the multi-national occupation of Iraq expires at the end of this year. Iraq is negotiating with the US to extend this order. It has been reported that the US made outrageous requests that the Iraqi's are rejecting.

I have been amazed at the statements that have been made by both sides about Iraq and neither side ever mentioned once consideration of what the Iraqis themselves want, never, not once.

Iraq is not a colony of the US yet and both and I hope that the candidates start to become aware of and remember that.

[Soothsayer08]

2011 is too long. But it seems that the Iraqis are waiting until Bush and Cheney leave office. They realize that is when they will have the best chance of taking back their country. The demand that we won't be allowed any bases in Iraq unless they are under their control, is also smart. I don't blame them. They are so over the US and their phony reasons for war.

[SeriousBlack]

Either that or when Big Oil Dick finally has that last "big one" (think Sanford and Son), and we stop trying to bully Iraq into signing that oil revenue "sharing" agreement that hands over most of their oil to western oil companies (i.e., his and dubya's oil company buddies) for the next 30 years...

[MikeDu]

The very worst thing in the world having to do with this government is inertia. Changing a bad policy is like trying to turn an ocean liner using a canoe paddle. It doesn't help that Bush and the degenerate right are doing all they can to "stay the course" despite the utter pointlessness of the policy and the gross expense involved. Want to end the war this year? Institute a war tax. The right wing will get religion on withdrawal in no time flat.

[hark]

Figures. Three, four, five years is "possible," certainly in ten or twenty, without a doubt by 2050 when we also magically cut our carbon emissions by half.

Well, I didn't think they'd stand up. They stand up when we tell them they can stand up, no sooner. Whose country do they think it is, anyway? Ingrates. Look what we did for them. Don't they value all that freedom and liberty?

[Counterglow]

So they give themselves another three years (at least) to sit around pulling their peckers while Americans bleed to keep them in power? Sweet deal! Must be that "America Will Stand Down When They Stop Defecting" policy I keep hearing about.

By the way, is the Iraq government back from holidays yet?