US, Iraq have draft to pull US troops out

[one...two...tree 2,762]

BAGHDAD — Iraq and the U.S. have reached preliminary agreement to withdraw American forces from Iraqi cities by next June, six years into the increasingly unpopular war, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Thursday after meeting with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

The negotiations over a withdrawal timetable follow long insistence by President Bush that setting any schedule for U.S. troops to leave would be dangerous. The draft agreement with Iraq would link troop reductions to achievement of certain security milestones, although the details have not been made public.

Time has become ever more important in discussions between U.S. and Iraqi officials with Bush heading into its final months and the presidential candidates tussling daily over how and when they would move to end the war.

Democrat Barack Obama has said he would begin pulling troops out immediately upon taking office and have all combat forces out within 16 months. Republican John McCain has said the situation in Iraq will dictate any pullout schedule, not a timetable set up without consideration of how the war is going.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/21/w...n_n_120323.html

[alienlovechild 75]

six years into the increasingly unpopular war

The Huffalota Poop strikes again. The Iraq War started in March 2003.

[SteveLaura 0]

BAGHDAD — Iraq and the U.S. have reached preliminary agreement to withdraw American forces from Iraqi cities by next June, six years into the increasingly unpopular war...

Um, maybe you need to read this line one more time.

[DeadPoolX 9]

Democrat Barack Obama has said he would begin pulling troops out immediately upon taking office and have all combat forces out within 16 months. Republican John McCain has said the situation in Iraq will dictate any pullout schedule, not a timetable set up without consideration of how the war is going.

I realize this war has become extremely unpopular both inside the U.S. and out, but honestly, I think McCain's stance on this makes a little more sense. I'd like to see all of the troops return home too, but sometimes you have to judge the situation for what it is and adjust as needed. It'd be great if Obama's hard-and-fast rule of "16 months and all soldiers are pulled out" would work and maybe it will, but some event could occur that would necessitate the troops staying longer or even a larger deployment. I sincerely hope such a thing wouldn't happen, but it could.

Obama is making people happy right now by stating he'll bring the troops home and if that plan succeeds, he'll be praised, I'm sure. But what if those plans need to change? Yes, some people will understand, but there are plenty of others who only will see a promise unfulfilled; yet another lie tossed out by the politicians in DC. McCain's stance, while not saying a whole lot, at least doesn't set him up for failure should something unexpected occur.

Edited August 21, 2008 by DeadPoolX