Bush Admin Told Iraq Government It Wanted Troops To Stay Until 2015

The United States asked Iraq for permission to maintain a troop presence there to 2015, but U.S. and Iraqi negotiators agreed to limit their authorization to 2011, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said.

"It was a U.S. proposal for the date which is 2015, and an Iraqi one which is 2010, then we agreed to make it 2011. Iraq has the right, if necessary, to extend the presence of these troops," Talabani said in an interview with al-Hurra television, a transcript of which was posted on his party's website on Wednesday.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[DieHardObamaSupporter]

Of course leave them there to occupy additional what 7 years, then pull them out just in time for the 2016 election. That's how you politicize our troops.

[Dialogue]

If someone previously implied and suggested, repeatedly, that setting time-tables, and dead-lines were potentially dangerous, and yet, dates are now being negogiated, what would a disinterested third-party observer think?

What should Barack Obama, or Bob Barr think?

[Ramirez]

A disinterested third-party observer does not understand the details or the process. He would probably believe whatever the Democrats say.

[Danny]

I am glad HuffPo is covering this. With all the frenzy over the Convention, it could have been buried.

[Vinca]

Danny: The convention cover up all other news, < BUT IN ANY EVENT

[HC4BO]

That's when they figured they would have been done siphoning enough oil money from the Iraqi's to fatten the pockets of Big Oil ...

[Roguewolf]

Talk about success, the American Military deserve to be congratulated for providing the security for this to happen. Also the Iraqi military and police need to be congratulted for stepping up and taking charge of their own security. Because of this security we are having a debate on when we should leave and not on how many more troops we need or how to change our strategy to become successful. The success has happened and this negotiation is the fruit of that success. I feel sorry for all of you here that cannot get behind our troops, you should be cheering in the streets for their success. And you should be happy for the Iraqis that for the first time are showing that they are becoming capable of governing themselves and providing their own security. You are witnessing the birht of Democracy in a region that has been ruled by Dictators and religious fanatics for years.

[wolf58]

How dare you talk of success. Success would have been finding and killing Bin Laden and his crew, you know the real bad guys who attacked us. This dog and pony show in Iraq is total BS that got alot of good people killed (20 more this month). Behind our troops? Really? okay mouth piece you in right? or your kids are in right? How many soldiers do you know? how many of your firends or family have been wounded or killed? 4148 have died for a lie, for oil Standing behind them would have been making sure that the traitors of this country would have never sent them in the first place. I really hate apple pie eating flag waving pukes who are nothing but brainless followers. Iraq a success? Iraq is anything but a success unless of course you are part of the no bid contracts or oil companies. So tell me hero how much money did you make off of American blood?

[Roguewolf]

I have been in for 29 years and am going for my third trip back.

[Destin]

I agree, it's been over since 2003, but Bush wants a "war president" legacy, so that's why he has insisted on this 5 years of occupation for no reason. Our troops could have been, and should have been, out of Iraq by Fall '03. And obviously, that means that 2011 timeframe is 8 years too long.

[Roguewolf]

We have never fought a war and got out within a year, except Vietnam and we know what happened there. Germany, Japan SouthKorea, Kosovo etc. It always takes a military presence to ensure our success is not reversed. Why are we still In Germay and Japan 60 years later?

[Hirnlego]

Its a permanent "presence" just watch and wait.

[Vinca]

Destin: Always . GW Bush wanted to be a war president,

[Ides]

Condescending much? I have an interesting way to support our troops: take them out of the line of fire.

A soldier's job is to do what he's told. You are not supporting the troops by leaving them there to die. You are not undermining their efforts by telling them that their job is done. This shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what the role of the military actually is, and it is pure naivete.

[Roguewolf]

How much time have you spent soldiering?

[darthdarcy]

2010 sounds good to me....let's gather up the congregation, and get the flock outta there..!

[Vinca]

darthdarcy:Even 2010 is too long to keep keep spendin money, badly needed here, wasting so many lives ,hopefully Obama will GET US OUT BY 2010,THIS WAR IS BANKRUPTING AMERICA

[WasteNJ]

Hey, Oil production sharing agreements don't get signed overnight. The Iraqi parliament has been opposed to signing over huge amounts of their oil revenues to Oil Multinationals, and Bush and co. have been pushing and pressuring to buy more time, just like they have been for the past five years.

I'll bet money they wanted the 2015 deadline (really no deadline) to wait out Maliki and hopefully get some more "cooperative" people into the Iraq government. Even though they have no real control over what happens there, it's worth it to them because the ultimate Oil goldmine is there, and no place else do we have the power to force our wishes on a government as easily.

Well, it isn't as easy as it used to be, seems Maliki's grown a backbone to match his parliament. Good for him. He realizes the waiting game is to his advantage.

[mabinog]

I call b-s. What he really wanted was a permanent or near permanent presence , ala South Korea or the like, but his social engineering hopes fell through.

[gditty]

We are negotiating to stay, even as they're telling us to leave...Those ungrateful Iraqis!!!!

[Vinca]

gditty: THIS ADMIN WANTING TO STAY UNTIL 2015, JUST BOGGLES ONE'S MIND

[Ajegunle]

OMG!

SO MCBUSH WANTED TO KEEP SPENDING 15 BILLION A WEEK----A WEEK?----A WEEEK????--- FOR 7 MORE YEARS???????

THIS IS A DNC ATTACK AD WAITING TO HAPPEN!

[Ajegunle]

OMG!

SO MCBUSH WANTED TO KEEP SPENDING 15 BILLION A YEAR FOR 7 MORE YEARS???????

THIS IS A DNC ATTACK AD WAITING TO HAPPEN!

[Durango]

2015 Complete and utter insanity.

just what is the Bush End Game here?

When do we know we have won?

Because I guarantee. The longer we occupy that country the more unpopular America will be.

The longer we stay the worse it will be.

No modern nation will allow its territory to be occupied indefinitely. Just because the present government agrees means NOTHING.

After all the Vichey government agreed with the Germans also.

[layman]

Until 2015 to have more dollars and lives siphon off the the Tax Payers for the booshco cronies and big oil ?

It's a win ? A win of What ? A win that costs the the tax payer more than a trillion dollars, thousands of young men and women had to die, millions of innocent Iraqi unneccessarily died while the US's own back yard in disarray !!!!!!!

[Ramirez]

From Rasmussen:
*******

War on Terror Update
Confidence in War on Terror and Iraq at Highest Level Ever
Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Voter confidence in the War on Terror is at the highest level ever recorded since Rasmussen Reports began regular tracking in January 2004. Fifty-four percent (54%) of American voters now think the United States and its allies are winning the war. The previous high-water mark for optimism--52%--was reached a handful of times in September and October 2004.

Optimism about the situation in Iraq is also at an all-time high. Forty-eight percent (48%) now expect the situation in that troubled country to get better over the next six months. Only 17% expect things to get worse. In addition to being the most optimistic assessment ever recorded, these numbers reflect a remarkable turnaround over the past year.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/war_on_terror/war_on_terror_update

[Xander]

Further proof the people of this country are idiots (as evidenced by who got voted into office--twice!).

Just because they don't hear much about it anymore, they assume we're winning. Great job by the administration making it back page news so people would start thinking that.

Meanwhile, as we have proven in Afghanistan, we don't actually "win" these conflicts--the other side just lays low for a while until we turn our attention elsewhere....and then they spring right back up.

[white mende man]

Does this agreement bind any future administration from withdrawing US troops out of Iraq earlier if he so chooses so?

[Vinca]

Surely Obama would be able to get us out earlier, BUSH IS TRYING TO RUN THINGS< AFTER WE GET A NEW PRESIDENT