Iraq PM Maliki Supports Obama's Withdrawal Plans

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Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki supports US presidential candidate Barack Obama's plan to withdraw US troops from Iraq within 16 months. When asked in and interview with SPIEGEL when he thinks US troops should leave Iraq, Maliki responded "as soon as possible, as far as we are concerned." He then continued: "US presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes."

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Apparently referring to Republican candidate John McCain's more open-ended Iraq policy, Maliki said: "Those who operate on the premise of short time periods in Iraq today are being more realistic. Artificially prolonging the tenure of US troops in Iraq would cause problems."

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/...,566841,00.html

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White House Accidentally E-Mails to Reporters Story That Maliki Supports Obama Iraq Withdrawal Plan

The White House this afternoon accidentally sent to its extensive distribution list a Reuters story headlined "Iraqi PM backs Obama troop exit plan - magazine."

The story relayed how Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told the German magazine Der Spiegel that "he supported prospective U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's proposal that U.S. troops should leave Iraq within 16 months … ‘U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes,'" the prime minister said.

The White House employee had intended to send the article to an internal distribution list, ABC News' Martha Raddatz reports, but hit the wrong button.

The misfire comes at an odd time for Bush foreign policy, at a time when Obama's campaign alleges the president is moving closer toward Obama's recommendations about international relations -- sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, discussing a "general time horizon" for U.S. troop withdrawal and launching talks with Iran.

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Video of Senator Obama with US troops in Kuwait:

[bhajishah 4]

Well im sure all the SHIA backed governments want them to withdraw ASAP, the achmajadenijads crew can step right in.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Well im sure all the SHIA backed governments want them to withdraw ASAP, the achmajadenijads crew can step right in.

Yep - not really a surprise - this is something else that was blatantly obvious from the getgo.

Anyone who still maintains that what happened in Iraq subsequent to the invasion was unforseeable, clearly needs an injection of reality.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

I am starting to face the fact Obama is probably the next president and there will be a period of adjustment domestically and globally with those the us is involved with.

Iraq is still a very young democracy and while the young government is supportive of withdrawl the things happening there are not condusive to what is being said by Obama or the new young Iraq democracy.

Obama is saying what is needed to be said to get elected. He is a politician. Once elected it's another story. He will be surrounded by the poltical structure and opinions of the politicans that voted to go into this war and that will influence him. He will also have access to information by military officials that presidents are priviledge to and the public is in the dark on "in interests of national security and public good". He 16 month withdrawl song and dance right now may and probably will change once in office and he has all or most of the cards laid out on the table.

At that point it is my "hope" that Obama remains concious of who voted for him and does address that voting population to explain to them why the "change" came in his elected campaign plans. I am optimistic that the american public majority is educated and will have a better understanding of the situation in Iraq once explained by the new president and media.

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McCain indicates US troops could withdraw in 2 years

McCain, who has wrapped up his party's White House nomination, has long argued against setting a timetable for U.S. troop withdrawal.

But the discussion on troop levels has shifted in recent days after Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki seemed to endorse Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's call for troops to be gone within 16 months of his taking office.

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After a meeting with former President George H.W. Bush, McCain was asked whether it was conceivable for U.S. troops to be fully pulled out of Iraq in about two years.

"I think they could be largely withdrawn," the Arizona senator replied.

[almaty 19]

i thought, he said early 2012...so, he moved his timetable up a few years