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Status of Forces

Where is Mohammed al-Daini? [Updated]

Dal LaMagna | Posted 04.06.2009 | World

Read More: Obama Troops, Obama Iraq Withdrawal, War, President Obama, Obama Withdrawal Plan, War in Iraq, Barack Obama, Iraq War, US Troops Iraq, Iraq Troop Withdrawal, Mohammed Al-Daini, 100 Days, Status of Forces Agreement, Status of Forces, Iraq, Sunnis, Nouri Al Maliki, Obama Iraq, Mohammed Al-Dynee, World News
Dal LaMagna

The U.S. may be leaving Iraq, but we should not be abandoning the Iraqi people. Particularly those who have put their lives on the line to rebuild their country in peace.

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What Obama's Iraq Speech Means for American Foreign Policy

Ilan Goldenberg | Posted 04.02.2009 | World

Read More: Redeployment, Obama, Iraq, National Security, Obama Troops, Troops, Obama Iraq Withdrawal, War, President Obama, Obama Withdrawal Plan, War in Iraq, Barack Obama, Iraq War, Miltary, US Troops Iraq, Iraq Troop Withdrawal, 100 Days, Status of Forces, Status of Forces Agreement, Obama Iraq, World News
Ilan Goldenberg

It's not all about Iraq. It is about America's interests around the globe and the costs and benefits of pursuing different strategies.

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Democrats Should Support Obama's Troop Plan

Jacob Heilbrunn | Posted 03.30.2009 | Politics

Read More: Obama Troops, Troops, Obama Iraq Withdrawal, War, President Obama, Obama, Obama Withdrawal Plan, War in Iraq, Barack Obama, Iraq War, US Troops Iraq, Nancy Pelosi, Iraq Troop Withdrawal, Harry Reid, 100 Days, Iraq, Status of Forces, Status of Forces Agreement, Obama Iraq, Politics News
Jacob Heilbrunn

If Iraq remains or becomes even more stable in 2010, then Obama will almost surely draw down troops even more quickly than he's currently announcing.

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Obama Bringing Troops Home: Are We Ready to Welcome Them?

Paul Rieckhoff | Posted 03.30.2009 | Politics

Read More: Iraq War, Afghanistan, Unemployment, Budget, Ptsd, Economy, Paul Rieckhoff, Iraq Veterans, Veterans, Obama Veterans, Obama Withdrawal Plan, Obama Iraq, Obama Troops, Troops, Obama Iraq Withdrawal, War, President Obama, War in Iraq, Barack Obama, US Troops Iraq, Iraq Troop Withdrawal, 100 Days, Status of Forces Agreement, Iraq, Status of Forces, Politics News
Paul Rieckhoff

Whether it is 16 months or 19 months or 23 months, whether the residual force is 10,000 or 50,000 troops, the president's new plan will create a surge of new veterans coming home in 2009 and 2010. We need to be ready.

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On the Right Path, Finally, in Iraq

Jon Soltz | Posted 03.30.2009 | World

Read More: Iraq War, Troops, President Obama, US Troops Iraq, War, Iraq Troop Withdrawal, Status of Forces, Iraq, Status of Forces Agreement, War in Iraq, Barack Obama, Obama Troops, Obama Iraq Withdrawal, Obama Withdrawal Plan, 100 Days, Obama Iraq, World News
Jon Soltz

If President Obama does continue to draw down, we will be more secure, and our military will now have a chance to repair the damage done to it by the previous administration.

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My 2008 "McLaughlin Awards" [Part 2]

Chris Weigant | Posted 01.26.2009 | Politics

Read More: Stuart Bowden, Ted Stevens, Jesse Jackson Jr, Ron Paul, Guantanamo, Al Franken, Best Government Dollar Spent, 50 State Strategy, Mccain, Primary Schedule, Awards, China, Worst Political Theater, Drill Baby Drill, Sarah Palin, Most Overreported Story, Andrew Cuomo, First Cat, Howard Dean, Socks the Cat, 2008, Bailout, Sofa, Condoleezza Rice, Katie Couric, Worst Political Scandal, John Edwards, Status of Forces, Sorry to See You Go, Health Care, Aids, Global Warming, Gravel, Election 2008 Coverage, Alaska, Bobby Jindal, Thomas Tamm, Reconstruction, Joe the Plumber, Tony Snow, Bernanke, Democrat, Letterman, Socks Clinton, Most Underrated, Democrats, Barack Obama, Best Idea, Predictions, George Carlin, 15 Minutes of Fame, Honorable Mention, Michigan, Hybrid, Wiretapping, Fred Thompson, Hillary Clinton, Executive Experience, Maliki, Caribou Barbie, Best Spin, Stuart Bowen, Destined for Political Oblivion, Kucinich, Jesse Helms, Private Jet, Beijing, Truth Commission, Going Green, Iraq, Most Overrated, Isaac Hayes, Spitzer, Caroline Kennedy, Bush, Wright, Blagojevich, Paulson, Bo Diddley, Mclaughlin, Unemployment, Inauguration, Destined for Political Stardom, Biggest Government Waste, Snl, Florida, Socks, Primary, Africa, Whistleblower, Best Political Theater, Most Underreported Story, Boldest Political Tactic, Castro, David Plouffe, Jeremiah Wright, Olympics, Harvey Korman, Beau Biden, Bernie Mac, Free Speech Zone, Wall Street, Chris Weigant, Oil, Most Honest Person, Socialism, Michael Crichton, Arthur C. Clarke, Saturday Night Live, Tina Fey, Worst Idea, David Letterman, Tamm, Wurzelbacher, Politics News
Chris Weigant

Love her or hate her, you have to admit that John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin for the Republican ticket this year was without any doubt the boldest political tactic of the year.

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My 2008 "McLaughlin Awards" [Part 1]

Chris Weigant | Posted 01.19.2009 | Politics

Read More: Ted Stevens, Gold Medals, Begich, Ron Paul, Ramsey, Mccain, Awards, China, Sarah Palin, Cindy Sheehan, Turncoat of the Year, Miss America, Enough Already, Mark Begich, 2008, Sofa, Dennis Kucinich, American Taxpayer, Turncoat, Status of Forces, Shinseki, Prime Minister, America Does Not Torture, Obama Wins, Edwards, Obama Is a Muslim, Barack Obama, Fred Thompson, Best Comeback, Taliban, Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton, Maliki, Worst Politician, Styx, George Bush, President, Jon Benet, Beijing, President Elect Barack Obama, Iraq, Obama, President-Elect, Most Original Thinker, Spitzer, Bush, Lieberman, Michael Phelps, Blagojevich, Paulson, Mclaughlin, Stevens, Clinton, Bummest Rap, Pirates, Most Stagnant Thinker, Most Defining Political Moment, Shoes, Bill Clinton, John McCain, Rush Limbaugh, Biggest Loser, Somali Pirates, McLaughlin Group, Most Boring, Person of the Year, Jesse Jackson, Throwing Shoes, Worst Lie, Capitalist of the Year, Jeremiah Wright, Bill Richardson, Olympics, Best Photo Op, Biggest Winner, Chris Weigant, Palin, Best Politician, Fairest Rap, Ramseys, Politics News
Chris Weigant

Welcome to our annual awards! For the past three years, this column has paid homage (translation: "ripped off their gimmick") to the McLaughlin Group...

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A Close Look At The Iraq Status Of Forces Agreement [Part 1]

Chris Weigant | Posted 01.08.2009 | World

Read More: Bases, Troops, Jurisdiction, Timetable, Status of Forces Agreement, American Forces, Forces, Iraq, Agreement, Contractor, Bush, Iraq War, Soldiers, Chris Weigant, Sofa, Armed Forces, Blackwater, Security Contractor, Maliki, Status of Forces, Timetable for Withdrawal, Warwire, World News
Chris Weigant

What I found is that the Iraqis got almost everything they had pushed for, and the Bush administration got almost nothing of what they wanted.

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Memo To Right-Wing: Withdrawal Timetable Now Doubleplusgood

Chris Weigant | Posted 12.18.2008 | Politics

Read More: War on Terror, War Wire, Timetable, Nineteen Eighty Four, Democratic, Failure, Iraq, Withdrawal, Bush, Memory Hole, Doubleplusungood, Iraqi, Sofa, Ministry of Truth, Status of Forces, Orwell, 1984, White Flag, Time Horizon, George Orwell, Democrat, Right Wing, Surrender, Democrats, Chris Weigant, Lose a War, Doubleplus, Hypocrisy, Doubleplusgood, Newspeak, Maliki, Timetable for Withdrawal, Aspirational Goal, On the Ground, Minitrue, Politics News
Chris Weigant

I'm on a lot of strange press lists, so I get a lot of strange press releases, but this is the first time I've ever gotten one from another dimension, I have to admit.

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Friday Talking Points [55] -- "Bretton Woods II"? Not Quite.

Chris Weigant | Posted 12.15.2008 | Politics

Read More: Loan, Russ Feingold, Mormon, Proposition 8, Economy, World Bank, New Years, Redistribution of Wealth, Imf, Iraq, Obama, Plan B, President-Elect, Sarah Palin, Putin, Bush, Lieberman, Automakers, Paulson, Rnc, Economic Summit, Senator, Sarkozy, Bailout, Sofa, Bretton Woods II, Midotw, New Hampshire, Tax Cuts, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Taxpayer Money, Treasury, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Status of Forces, Mount Washington Hotel, Reid, Detroit, Taxes, Palin Clothes, Oath, Bretton Woods, Socialism, Speakeasy, Feingold, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Constitution, Mddotw, Chris Weigant, Rahm Emanuel, Palin, Georgia, Harry Reid, President-Elect Obama, Secretary, Politics News
Chris Weigant

I have to begin here today by stomping all over a cutesy term the media has come up with for the upcoming economic "summit" George W. Bush is holding ...

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Maliki's Leverage Over Bush

Chris Weigant | Posted 10.09.2008 | Politics

Read More: George Bush, Negotiation, Concession, Troops, United Nations, 16 Month, Iraq, Mccain, Obama, Campaign, 2013, Withdrawal, President, Bob Woodward, 2010, 2008, Bugging, Sofa, Puppet, 2008 Campaign, Un, Status of Forces Agreement, Status of Forces, Parliament, John McCain, Time Horizon, Withdraw, Combat, Timeline, Forces, Spying, 2008 Elections, 08, 2011, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Election, 08 Election, Elections, Spy, 08 Campaign, Barack, 2008 Presidential Race, Maliki, Senate, Aspirational Goal, Woodward, Politics News
Chris Weigant

Because the clock is running out on Bush and because his domestic popularity continues to fall, Maliki is using the international media to boost his own popularity with the voters in Iraq.

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Friday Talking Points [41] -- The Silly Season

Chris Weigant | Posted 08.09.2008 | Politics

Read More: Paris Hilton, Ads, Gas Prices, Mudslinging, Britney Spears, Homosexual, Iraq, Diplomacy, Media, Campaign, Withdrawal, Republican, California, Iran, Television, Specifics, 2008, Sofa, Midotw, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, 2008 Campaign, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Celebrity, Status of Forces, Keating Five, Andres McCain, Rove, John McCain, Gas, Karl Rove, Gasoline, Deval Patrick, Timeline, War, Campaign Ads, Democrat, Massachusetts, 2008 Elections, 08, Gay, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Election, 08 Election, Price of Oil, Elections, 08 Campaign, Mddotw, Convention, 2008 Presidential Race, Oil, Maliki, News, Britney, Media Bias, Gay Marriage, Politics News
Chris Weigant

I have a confession to make. I actually watch the network news. Maybe I should enter into a twelve-step program or something. But I don't watch the ...

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Obama Frames Iraq Right, Bush And McCain Slow To React

Chris Weigant | Posted 07.22.2008 | Politics

Read More: Al Qaeda, Troops, Timetable, American, Iraq, Campaign, Withdrawal, Military, Surge, 2008, Occupation, 2008 Campaign, Status of Forces, Parliament, John McCain, War, 2008 Elections, Congress, Democracy, 08, 2008 Election, Surrender, Election, Barack Obama, 08 Election, Elections, 08 Campaign, 2008 Presidential Race, Maliki, Politics News
Chris Weigant

McCain's going to have to come up with some new spin to explain why Obama and Maliki are now singing from the same songbook on timetables for withdrawal.

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Friday Talking Points [38] -- Whiners And Cheeseheads

Chris Weigant | Posted 07.19.2008 | Politics

Read More: National Convention, Timetable, Pow, Fisa, Immunity, Campaign, Withdrawal, Telecom, Rnc, Nuts, 2008, Sofa, Mccain Flip-Flop, Dennis Kucinich, Midotw, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Status of Forces, Leni Riefenstahl, Football, Amnesty, Democrat, Nuremberg, 08, Acceptance Speech, Platform, Democrats, Barack Obama, Election, Sister Soulja, 08 Election, Stadium, Elections, Mddotw, Martin Luther King, Whiners, Maliki, Russ Feingold, Cheesehead, Speech, Senator, Impeachment, Iraq, Pittsburgh, Anniversary, Denver, King, Republican, Lion of the Senate, Phil Gramm, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, 2008 Campaign, Mental Recession, Green Bay Packers, John McCain, Mlk, Prisoner of War, 2008 Elections, Jesse Jackson, Green Eggs and Ham, 2008 Election, Teddy Kennedy, Recession, 08 Campaign, Convention, 2008 Presidential Race, I Have a Dream, Telecommunications, Medicare, Steve Schmidt, Flip Flop, Steelers, Broncos, Politics News
Chris Weigant

Welcome back to Friday Talking Points, after a one-week hiatus! While plenty has happened in the past two weeks which bears close and careful analysis...

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