Iraq insists on U.S. withdrawal timetable: official

[Clovis Sangrail]

Source: Reuters

Iraq will not accept any security agreement with the United States unless it includes dates for the withdrawal of foreign forces, the government's national security adviser said on Tuesday.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/gc05/idUSL0353522920080708

[TNOE]

1. HA HA

SMART. Now - play the clip of Bush saying if we are asked to leave - we will leave.

[Clovis Sangrail]

2. wouldn't it be great

if somebody in the MSM did this?

[Pastiche423]

7. A video must be made

(or lots and lots of videos) w/the video and audio of * saying we would leave if they asked us, w/al-Maliki's words in a continuous stream across the screen, over and over again.

Then spread it far and wide.

[jimshoes]

3. We'll be totally gone in

in 100 years, promise. Now sign.

[Joe Chi Minh]

4. Ungrateful blighters! All those new freedoms they have... and this is how they

show their gratitude.

[Kolesar]

5. Best news I have heard in months, maybe years...eom

[no limit]

6. Wow, the Iraqi government actually has some spine

Pelosi should take notes.

[AntiFascist]

8. K&R n/t

[Leo 9]

9. Iraq presses US on timeline for troop pullout

July 8, 2008, 2:11PM
Iraq presses US on timeline for troop pullout


By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA and SEBASTIAN ABBOT Associated Press Writers
© 2008 The Associated Press


BAGHDAD — Iraqi officials stepped up pressure on the United States on Tuesday to agree to a specific timeline to withdraw American forces, a sign of the government's growing confidence as violence falls.

The tough words come as the Bush administration is running out of time to reach a needed troop deal before the U.S. election in November and the president's last months in office. Some type of agreement is required to keep American troops in Iraq after a U.N. mandate expires on Dec. 31.

The Iraqi timeline proposal made public Tuesday appears to set an outer limit, requiring U.S. forces to fully withdraw five years after the Iraqis take the lead on security nationwide — though that precondition could itself take years.

"Our stance in the negotiations under way with the American side will be strong," said Iraq's national security adviser, Mouwaffak al-Rubaie, a day after the country's prime minister first publicly said he expects some type of timeline.

"We will not accept any memorandum of understanding that doesn't have specific dates to withdraw foreign forces from Iraq," al-Rubaie told reporters.

President Bush has said he opposes a timeline. The White House said Monday it did not believe Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was proposing a rigid timeline for U.S. troop withdrawals.

snip

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/5877363.html

[struggle4progress]

10. Press Conference by the President (May 24, 2007)

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 24, 2007

Press Conference by the President
Rose Garden
11:01 A.M. EDT

... 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 ...

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

[struggle4progress]

11. Iraqi Parliamentarian: 70 Percent Of Iraqis Want Withdrawal, Huge U.S. Embassy Not ‘Positive Signal'

Iraqi Parliamentarian: 70 Percent Of Iraqis Want Withdrawal, Huge U.S. Embassy Not A ‘Positive Signal’
By Satyam on Jun 4th, 2008 at 9:33 pm

Today, the House held a hearing featuring two members of the Iraqi Parliament in order “to hear their assessment of the proposed U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement,” an agreement proposed by the Bush administration permitting combat forces in Iraq for an unspecified period of time. Iraq is currently seeing “growing and widespread protests…over the scope of the agreement.”

In the hearing, parliamentarians Nadeem Al-Jaberi and Khalaf Al-Ulayyan expressed their support for a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops. In an exchange with Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), Al-Jaberi said that U.S. presence in Iraq is highly unpopular with the public, as roughly 70 percent of Iraqis favor a withdrawal ....

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/06/04/iraq-parliament/

[struggle4progress]

12. Iraqi Leaders Call for Pullout Timetable (Nov 2005)

CAIRO, Egypt, Nov. 22, 2005

(AP) ... The communique _ finalized by Shiite, Kurdish and Sunni leaders Monday _ condemned terrorism but was a clear acknowledgment of the Sunni position that insurgents should not be labeled as terrorists if their operations do not target innocent civilians or institutions designed to provide for the welfare of Iraqi citizens.

The leaders agreed on "calling for the withdrawal of foreign troops according to a timetable, through putting in place an immediate national program to rebuild the armed forces ... control the borders and the security situation" and end terror attacks.

The preparatory reconciliation conference, held under the auspices of the Arab League, was attended by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Iraqi Shiite and Kurdish lawmakers as well as leading Sunni politicians ...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/11/22/ap/world/mainD8E1DM000.shtml

[struggle4progress]

13. Security Council ... extends "for last time" mandate of multinational force (Dec 2007)

SECURITY COUNCIL, ACTING ON IRAQ’S REQUEST, EXTENDS ‘FOR LAST TIME’ MANDATE OF MULTINATIONAL FORCE

Recognizing the request from Iraq, the Security Council today decided to extend the mandate of the multinational force in that country -- “for the last time”, according to its Permanent Representative -- until 31 December 2008.

Acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 1790 (2007), deciding further that the mandate would be reviewed at the request of the Government of Iraq or no later than 15 June 2008. The mandate would be terminated earlier if the Iraqi Government requested the Council to do so.

The Council also extended until 31 December 2008 the arrangements for the depositing into the Development Fund for Iraq of proceeds from export sales of petroleum, petroleum products and natural gas, as well as the arrangements for the monitoring of the Fund by the International Advisory and Monitoring Board (IAMB), deciding also that the arrangements would be reviewed at the request of the Iraqi Government or no later than 15 June 2008. Those arrangements are described in paragraphs 12, 20, 22 and 23 of resolution 1483 of 22 May 2003 (see Press Release SC/7765), and paragraphs 24 and 27 of resolution 1546 of 8 June 2004 (see Press Release SC/8117) ...

http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/sc9207.doc.htm

[gulliver]

14. This Kabuki is needed to sell a plan for us to stay in Iraq

I hate to be cynical, but it looks to me like Maliki and the others are just trying to act tough. Saying "no deal unless there is a timetable" is the same as saying they are getting close to a deal for us to stay. The Bush administration "opposes" a timetable but the timetable being discussed is conditional and years out. So Bush "gives in" to the "tough" Iraqi government and accepts a "timetable." And then he gets his deal to stay after the mandate expires.