US-Iraq Withdrawal Plan Reached, Mirrors Obama's Plan

The Independent:

Iraq and the United States have finally agreed on a security pact which would mean that US forces would withdraw from Iraq by 2011, American and Iraqi officials said yesterday.

The accord became a major test of strength between the Iraqi government and Washington since negotiations began in March with the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, pictured below, demanding US concessions on the date of the troop withdrawal and immunity for US troops. The pact replaces the UN Security Council resolution enacted after the American invasion of 2003.

The agreement still needs to be approved by the council of Iraqi leaders, the cabinet and the Iraqi parliament. Mr Maliki saw the highly influential Shia religious leader, the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, last week and was assured that he would not stand in the way of the pact if approved by parliament.

Read the whole story: The Independent

Comments

[hellinahandbasket415]

Bring Our Troops Home!!!

This conflict should never have occurred in the first place. And that it has dragged out this long is just appalling. ANY withdrawal plan is a start...

[jsgaetano]

Bush: America's Cut and Runner in Chief!

First, he cuts and runs from Afghanistan, then he cuts and runs from Bin Laden.

Now, he cuts and runs from the mess he made in Iraq, despite his claims of "staying until we win". I guess the repeated calls of defining exactly what "win" means scared off GWB,"The Arabian Candidate".

[larry278]

We are getting out of Iraq by 2011. Where will the USA get the money to pay for the trips home of the troops? How about employment for the troops when they get home? The melt-down & the bail-out are going to get much more expensive. True, bringing the troops home will end the expense of paying them to fight in & to occupy Iraq. But where do we get the money to pay for the trips home of the troops & to create jobs for the returned troops? Some, if not most, troops will be discharged. The Nat'l Guard & reserves may have had jobs when they were called up & sent to Iraq, will these jobs still exist when the troops come home? Financing jobs for discharged troops could prove to be difficult. Paying for proper care of troops disabled in Iraq is going to be a long time expense 30, 40, 50 years into the future. There are going to be the expenses of the GI bill which will pay tuition at state schools, etc. It will be necessary for 10-50% of the troops to go to out of state & private schools to study subjects not taught in the home state, taught poorly or if the state school doesn't have room for qualified vets. Where will the money come from?

[Rimser]

We've been spending $10B per month and will continue to do so until our troops come home. Seems reasonable to me to reallocate some of that $10B to caring for our troops, paying for their benefits under the GI bill, etc. As for the Nat'l Guardsmen, their jobs are supposed to be guaranteed to be saved for them while they are on active duty.

[hellinahandbasket415]

Wow, what a dismal forecast you've made.

Maybe we should just leave them there?? Maybe we shoulnd't have sent so many of them over there in first place.

What's your solution if you disagree with bringing them home?

[DRaymond]

It is not so much that this has happened as that I never expected it to be such a whimper. All it rated in the Los Angeles Times was an 'In other developments....' mention in the middle of an article on the third page.

[ErrUhEmm]

More distortions from the left.

Obama called for congressionally mandated withdrawals designed to make the Iraqis stand up for themselves. Obama said the Iraqis would not take resoponsibility until we held them over the fire by IMPOSING and withdrawal timetable on them.

The fact that this is a negotiated timeline proves Obama was WRONG.

Bush's stay the course policy was RIGHT.

[doctorwang]

"Obama’s trip is scheduled to include a visit to Iraq, and his foreign policy judgment got an unexpected boost from that country’s leader, Nouri Maliki, who praised the Democratic presidential candidate’s plan for withdrawing U.S. troops over a 16-month period.

In an interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel, Maliki embraced Obama’s plan, saying: “That, we think, would be the right time frame for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes.” " July 20, 2008

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jul/20/nation/na-obamatrip20

[pgurlatl]

People please email the media outlets regarding the latest in suggestive smearing by the Replicans!

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/virginia_gop_mailer_appears_to.php

They have no shame!

[jeff]

US-Iraq Withdrawal Plan Reached, Mirrors Obama's Plan

we withdrew our troops a year and a half ago?

[JiminNC]

Yes, everybody knew about it. We just didn't tell you.

[klandish]

We have nearly destroyed that Country and they want it back. It's not our land despite what many Repugs and neo cons would like to believe. This War has been an an illegal calamity based on false premises from the start.

[Stilts9]

Lil Georgie Bush will soon be resuming his privileged, snot-nosed life.

And it won't be in Crawford.

[klandish]

Where, do tell?

[SD leaker]

This is very bad news. The US must retire immediately. I hope the Iraqi parliament will not accept the deal.

[goodog]

"Iraq has faded as an issue in the presidential election as the financial crisis worsened. However, claims that the Republicans had won a victory in Iraq looked increasingly unreal as it became clear that a withdrawal date would be determined by Mr Maliki, and not by the US."

The writer confuses the US administration with the US. Most American's want US troops out of Iraq sooner rather than later. On this account we are all Iraqi's, unless you're a corporate-­administra­tion bomb-monger jonesing for Iraqi black.

The obvious American preference in the polls for Obama and his plan plays a strong roll in the negotiation and gives the Iraqis leverage while dealing with administration negotiators.

Except that it could thwart the will of American voters and Iraqi sovereigns by intensifying its efforts and presence, the administration has no leverage, and even then, it's pointless leverage, because its actions would only increase Obama and the Democrats winning margins well into the next mid-term congressional election.

[sloliver]

This is the best response to all of McCains policies so far....http://tobroketolaugh.com

[kellygrrrl]

Thank Gawd we have a Leader to steer this country out of the Bush slide!

[SanityNow]

War? What War?
The economic disaster has completely overshadowed the war - and all campaign discussions and promises. Was there ANY mention of it in the final debate??
Could Wall Streets plunge have occurred at a more convenient time?
Sounds like an "October Surprise" to me.

[mentortfc]

I can't wait to hear the new Palin, McCain talking points about the war. Will they now turn on Bush and accuse him of being unpatriotic and a waver of the white flag?