Saturday, July 19, 2008

Maliki OK With Obama’s Plan to Pull Out

Well.

Maliki: As soon as possible, as far as we’re concerned. 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.

Sean Hackbarth at The American Mind has these thoughts.

First, realize Maliki sees Obama as the Presidential front runner. It’s rational not to rock the boat. Second, Iraq and the U.S. wouldn’t be in this situation if it weren’t for the surge that quelled violence.

[...]

On the surge Sen. John McCain had the superior judgment over the less-experienced Obama.

Third, a timetable or a change in “time horizon” in an environment of victory makes the U.S. and the Middle East more secure.

I would add that Maliki is also speaking to the Iraqi people.  He wants to give them assurance that he supports an eventual U.S. withdrawal in order to enhance his own power. 

In the end, we all want to pull combat troops out of Iraq (I support maintaining a presence there as long as the Middle East is a hot spot).  The question is whether or not we set an arbitrary deadline or merely a goal subject to change based on the conditions on the ground.

(6) Comments
Posted by Owen at 1313 hrs
Foreign Affairs + Politics + Politics - General

  1. Timetables for the sake of retreat is unacceptable. But we see the surge has made Iraq better off allowing Maliki and Bush to seriously talk about removing U.S. troops in an environment of success which is better for the national security of both countries. With Obama he would have bailed out last year letting Iraq burn.

    Posted by Sean Hackbarth on July 19, 2008 at 1521 hrs


  2. When do you foresee the Middle East NOT being a “hot spot”?  And why is Iraq the best place to have our troops while the Middle East is a “hot spot”?  Why not for in Afghanistan or Pakistan or Iran?

    Posted by Compassionate Badger on July 19, 2008 at 1752 hrs


  3. Iraq and the U.S. wouldn’t be in this situation

    If somebody would have done a better job on their homework in the first place.

    And surprise, surprise the elected leader of the Iraqi people actually makes speeches for his constituent’s consumption.

    He wants to give them assurance that he supports an eventual U.S. withdrawal in order to enhance his own power.

    If that is in fact the main driver for his perspective I am gonna guess his term in office will be a relatively short one unless your wet dream of….

    maintaining a presence there as long as the Middle East is a hot spot

    ...comes true.

    How many millenia do you think that will be?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 19, 2008 at 1801 hrs


  4. The surge created a window of opportunity in which nothing happened.

    Posted by scott on July 19, 2008 at 1906 hrs


  5. Repeating the same thing on multiple posts doesn’t make it so.  As Senator Moynihan once said, you’re entitled to your own opinion, but not to your own facts.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 19, 2008 at 2139 hrs


  6. I was under the impression Iraq was going to be a soveriegn country. Are you saying if they want us out, you’d support staying anyway?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 20, 2008 at 2023 hrs


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