Pentagon rebuffs Iraqis on withdrawal timetable

[maddezmom]

Source: AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) - In a rebuff to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, the Pentagon said Monday that any timetable for a US withdrawal from Iraq would depend on conditions on the ground there.

Maliki told Arab ambassadors on Monday he was pressing for such a timetable in negotiations with Washington on an agreement on the status of US forces in Iraq beyond 2008.

Asked about the prime minister's comments, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters: "With respect to timetables I would say the same thing I would say as respects to the security situation -- it is dependent on conditions on the ground."

Whitman said the United States had made clear "that we have no long term desires to have forces permanently stationed in Iraq."



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080707/pl_afp/iraqunrestsecurityusmilitary_080707172421;_ylt=AnmCb.N0GA10PB_mBrw5V2tX6GMA

[freesqueeze]

1. Who do these Iraqis think they are?

Our friends and allies?

Of all the nerve...

[Doctor_J]

2. yep, that's one really sovereign nation Smirk built

Maybe the war crimes trials of Bush and Cheney will speed up the timetable

[Maggie_May]

3. Whitman said the US does not have a long term desire

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, speaking in Abu Dhabi, said his government is favoring a short-term accord. His comments come as frustrated negotiators have been working on a long-term bilateral pact that would cover security.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/07/07/iraq.security/index.html

Than why are working for a long-term bilateral pact.

More lies from our friends at the Pentagon call me surprised.

[jaxx]

4. Didn't take the Pentagon long to keep the war drums beating.

No timetable, no withdrawal, no end to bush's baby.

[eagleswing963]

5. Hwo dare those Iraqis!!!

After all its their country, who the #$%# are they to tell us to leave?

After all Bush has done for them, you know, invade them, bomb the shit out of them, run them out of their homes, hand their oil to Exxon and BO (typo??!! lol)and Halliburton, who the fuck do they think they are to ask us to leave?

Don't they know they did 9/11?

Ingrateful bastards!

I think I just shit myself laughing!!

[DRoseDARs]

6. "If they were to say, 'Leave,' we would leave." - Pres. Bush, May 24th, 2007

He makes stipulation this and assertion that, but says pointblank TWICE that we would leave if asked. Put himself between Iraq and a hard place. Hi-oh!

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/05/20070524.html

Martha.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. You say you want nothing short of victory, that leaving Iraq would be catastrophic; you once again mentioned al Qaeda. Does that mean that you are willing to leave American troops there, no matter what the Iraqi government does? I know this is a question we've asked before, but you can begin it with a "yes" or "no."

THE PRESIDENT: We are there at the invitation of the Iraqi government. This is a sovereign nation. Twelve million people went to the polls to approve a constitution. It's their government's choice. If they were to say, leave, we would leave.

Q -- catastrophic, as you've said over and over again?

THE PRESIDENT: I would hope that they would recognize that the results would be catastrophic. This is a sovereign nation, Martha. We are there at their request. And hopefully the Iraqi government would be wise enough to recognize that without coalition troops, the U.S. troops, that they would endanger their very existence. And it's why we work very closely with them, to make sure that the realities are such that they wouldn't make that request -- but if they were to make the request, we wouldn't be there.

[Amonester]

15. The war criminal chimp LIED again (TWICE).

"So?" - Darth Cheneyousself

[singilarpoint]

7. Iraq

If the Iraqis think that they are in control of their country they a mistaken. We occupy them and until we leave, they will do as we say. We want their oil. Plain and simple. That's why we need to pull out of Iraq.

[Javaman]

8. aka we own you, so shut the f up and be a good little colony. nt

[rainy]

9. This sure puts us in a catch 22. Things are going well because of the surge they say.

We are asked to leave. Now what is a neo-con to do? They would need more violence to justify staying but then the surge wouldn't be working.

[hvn_nbr_2]

10. "dependent on conditions on the ground"

If Exxon owns all the oil wells in perpetuity and Blackwater has enough mercenaries in place to protect them from any of those Eye-rakkies, then conditions on the ground will be right. Otherwise, al-Maliki, sorry to say buddie, but your sovereignty and $5 will get you a cuppa joe at one of the remaining Starbucks.

[rug]

11. Wait a minute. The Prime Minister of Iraq wants us to leave and the U.S. said no?

[bemildred]

12. I thought our loyal military did what it was told to by civilian authority? nt

[Ilsa]

13. Time to pack up and leave! (But how do we pack up all of "our" oil?) nt

[stillcool]

14. Bombs Away!