U.S., Iraq Are Said to Have Set Withdrawal Timetable

[Bono]

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB121925351447057223-lMyQjAxMDI4MTI5MDIyNTAzWj.html

U.S., Iraq Are Said to Have Set
Withdrawal Timetable
By GINA CHON and YOCHI J. DREAZEN
August 21, 2008; Page A1

BAGHDAD -- U.S. and Iraqi negotiators reached agreement on a security deal that calls for American military forces to leave Iraq's cities by next summer as a prelude to a full withdrawal from the country, according to senior American officials.

The draft agreement sets 2011 as the date by which all remaining U.S. troops will leave Iraq, according to Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Haj Humood and other people familiar with the matter.

Teams of American and Iraqi negotiators spent months haggling over the deal, which represents a remarkable turnaround from just a few months ago, when talk of timetables and deadlines was routinely dismissed by the Bush administration and other Republicans in Washington.

Senior officials in Washington said the talks have concluded. The deal will be presented to the Bush administration and the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for formal approval or rejection.

"The talking is done," one U.S. official said late Wednesday night. "Now the decision makers choose whether to give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down."

The precise terms of the agreement weren't clear Wednesday night, and the deal's final status likely will remain unsettled for at least a few more weeks.
[Photo]
Associated Press
Gen. David Petraeus, at a press conference in April.

Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council, cautioned that the deal was not yet complete. "Discussions are ongoing with the Iraqis to finalize a bilateral agreement," he said. "We are working to complete the agreement, but it is not final yet."

President George W. Bush is almost certain to accept the agreement, according to U.S. officials. The administration believes that the deal doesn't require congressional approval and won't present it to U.S. lawmakers.

The situation is more complicated in Iraq. The draft agreement must be approved by several layers of Iraqi political leaders. Several members of Mr. Maliki's cabinet have voiced opposition to elements of the deal. The Iraqi Parliament, which also has to sign off on the deal, is in recess until the end of next month.

The security deal came together after the Bush administration made concessions on several long-held positions. The White House softened its stance over a pullout date after it became clear that Mr. Maliki was adamant that the agreement contain at least a vague timetable for a U.S. withdrawal.

The administration also dropped its insistence that American contractors remain immune from Iraqi law. Western contractors -- especially those working for Blackwater, which is under investigation for a deadly shooting last year -- are deeply unpopular in Iraq.

One of the last remaining roadblocks had been whether U.S. military personnel would enjoy immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law. Mr. Humood, Iraq's chief negotiator on the agreement, said joint committees of U.S. and Iraqi officials will be formed to resolve such issues when cases arise.

Gen. David Petraeus, the top American commander here, said in an interview that the U.S. already was focusing on turning control of the country over to Iraqis.

"We have to let go, and we're not reluctant to do that. And the Iraqis are not reluctant to take control," Gen. Petraeus said.

Gen. Petraeus said coalition forces are already out of cities in the southern part of Iraq, and they are less visible in the western province of Anbar. Iraqi troops are mostly in charge in towns including Ramadi, he said. Gen. Petraeus leaves Iraq next month to become the top commander of all U.S. personnel in the Middle East and North Africa, succeeding Navy Adm. William Fallon, who resigned in March.

Iraq has seen attacks fall from 180 per day in June 2007 to 25 a day in June 2008, according to U.S. military figures. At the same time, Gen. Petraeus, architect of the military's counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq, has presided over a transfer of security responsibility from U.S. to Iraqi combat forces. Of the 150 Iraqi army combat battalions, 70% are now leading military operations, supported by Coalition forces, he said.

But the general added that no one is "giving each other high-fives." Although extremist groups such as al Qaeda in Iraq and rogue Shiite militias have been weakened, he said, they could gain strength again.

"There is a measure of hope in Iraq that was not present 18 months ago," he said. "Now, that's just a measure of hope. It's not a celebration."

Write to Gina Chon at gina.chon@wsj.com and Yochi J. Dreazen at yochi.dreazen@wsj.com

[War on Want]

Good, its about time.

[True Democrat]

Eh. . .I don't even know what to think anymore.

[Sbane]

Eh. . .I don't even know what to think anymore.

When the democrats suggest it..TREASON. But when Bush does it it's golden. Douches.

[cannonia]

Since we've already won, the arguments against timetables don't matter much anymore.  The next administration will just carry out a phased withdrawal.

[Sbane]

Since we've already won, the arguments against timetables don't matter much anymore.  The next administration will just carry out a phased withdrawal.

Really we have won? What exactly causes you to say that? Just 4 months ago we were apparently fighting this epic battle and now we have won, yet I heard nothing about it. Must be that evil librrrul media huh?

[??????????]

Since we've already won, the arguments against timetables don't matter much anymore.  The next administration will just carry out a phased withdrawal.

Really we have won? What exactly causes you to say that? Just 4 months ago we were apparently fighting this epic battle and now we have won, yet I heard nothing about it. Must be that evil librrrul media huh?

You need to have a talk with the AP.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Massive flip flop

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Since we've already won, the arguments against timetables don't matter much anymore.  The next administration will just carry out a phased withdrawal.

I thought Mission Accomplished was May 1, 2003. What have we been doing for the last 5 1/3 years?

[12th Doctor]

Massive flip flop

I love that your political hatred runs so deep that you can't even by happy that something you have wanted for 5 years has happened, instead your automatic knee jerk reaction is "attack".

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Massive flip flop

I love that your political hatred runs so deep that you can't even by happy that something you have wanted for 5 years has happened, instead your automatic knee jerk reaction is "attack".

Anyone suggesting a time table was recently called a traitor. McCain recently attacked Obama for favoring some sort of withdrawl.

And, the troops are still there, I'll believe that they have been withdrawn when I see it. This is likely just some bullsh**t election year politics.

[12th Doctor]

Massive flip flop

I love that your political hatred runs so deep that you can't even by happy that something you have wanted for 5 years has happened, instead your automatic knee jerk reaction is "attack".

Anyone suggesting a time table was recently called a traitor. McCain recently attacked Obama for favoring some sort of withdrawl.

And, the troops are still there, I'll believe that they have been withdrawn when I see it. This is likely just some bullsh**t election year politics.

If anything this undermines McCain.

[Sbane]

Since we've already won, the arguments against timetables don't matter much anymore.  The next administration will just carry out a phased withdrawal.

Really we have won? What exactly causes you to say that? Just 4 months ago we were apparently fighting this epic battle and now we have won, yet I heard nothing about it. Must be that evil librrrul media huh?

You need to have a talk with the AP.

And what would the AP tell me states? Just because Iraqis decided to stop blowing each other up, we won? And considering just a few months ago a timetable was unacceptable, I wonder what happened to change their mind. Because the reduction in violence happened way before the Bush administration decided we needed a timetable. First the bastards tried calling it a "time horizon", but I guess people saw right though that. So now they are calling it what it is. Oh well I absolutely do not have a problem with this, just I did not appreciate people calling for a timetable being called traitors by your side. Didn't Mccain also say " my opponent would rather lose a war than lose a political campaign". Seems like Bush is "losing" the war now.

[riceowl]

Massive flip flop

I love that your political hatred runs so deep that you can't even by happy that something you have wanted for 5 years has happened, instead your automatic knee jerk reaction is "attack".

Anyone suggesting a time table was recently called a traitor. McCain recently attacked Obama for favoring some sort of withdrawl.

And, the troops are still there, I'll believe that they have been withdrawn when I see it. This is likely just some bullsh**t election year politics.

If anything this undermines McCain.

i don't know if it does.  people who were voting obama to bring the troops home may think twice when it's happening regardless.

[cannonia]

Since we've already won, the arguments against timetables don't matter much anymore.  The next administration will just carry out a phased withdrawal.

Really we have won? What exactly causes you to say that? Just 4 months ago we were apparently fighting this epic battle and now we have won, yet I heard nothing about it. Must be that evil librrrul media huh?

I have family and friends over in Iraq, so I try to pay attention to what is actually going on over there.  If you're interested, Michael Totten and Michael Yon had some very interesting in-depth columns and reports you could look up.

I don't feel I'm going out on a limb by saying this: We have already won in Iraq.  My vote for President will not be decided on this issue because it's clear the troops will be coming home sooner rather than later.

[Sbane]

Since we've already won, the arguments against timetables don't matter much anymore.  The next administration will just carry out a phased withdrawal.

Really we have won? What exactly causes you to say that? Just 4 months ago we were apparently fighting this epic battle and now we have won, yet I heard nothing about it. Must be that evil librrrul media huh?

I have family and friends over in Iraq, so I try to pay attention to what is actually going on over there.  If you're interested, Michael Totten and Michael Yon had some very interesting in-depth columns and reports you could look up.

I don't feel I'm going out on a limb by saying this: We have already won in Iraq.  My vote for President will not be decided on this issue because it's clear the troops will be coming home sooner rather than later.

What I am saying is that the goal in Iraq was never clear since we got rid of Saddam. Even now our goals are pretty narrow and tactical, which is fine but I doubt that means we "won " the war. Honestly if you want to look at this from a "win or lose" situation, then we won back in 2003 when that statue came down. We defeated Saddam, which was basically the point.( oh yeah the WMD's but nobody gives a sh**t about that now, right?) We then basically lost the peace as we let a simmering sectarian strife boil into a full scale civil war. I don't really blame the troops as much as the f**ktards in Washington who didn't see it coming. Then our knight in shining armor, Al qaeda, came in to save the day by showing the Iraqis the face of true evil. Since then the Sunnis have basically called for a truce and Mahdi has also decided to calm down. Perhaps they realize this is the best way to get us out of there, who knows. But this civil war will not be peaceful for much longer, and in a worst case scenario it gets worse as we are leaving and we are sucked back into the situation. Even though we cannot help, we will always feel the responsibility to help since we did "break" it.  Anyways my main point being this whole war was a mistake and except for getting rid of Saddam, we have accomplished jack sh**t.

[12th Doctor]

Massive flip flop

I love that your political hatred runs so deep that you can't even by happy that something you have wanted for 5 years has happened, instead your automatic knee jerk reaction is "attack".

Anyone suggesting a time table was recently called a traitor. McCain recently attacked Obama for favoring some sort of withdrawl.

And, the troops are still there, I'll believe that they have been withdrawn when I see it. This is likely just some bullsh**t election year politics.

If anything this undermines McCain.

i don't know if it does.  people who were voting obama to bring the troops home may think twice when it's happening regardless.

But then the question for McCain is "Do you still favor no timetable?"  "Why did you change your position Senator?" or alt "Why do you feel the troops need to stay if President Bush thinks its time to go?"