US: Deal With Iraq May Have Many Security Handover Dates

[maddezmom]

Source: AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP)--The White House said Tuesday that a planned U.S.-Iraq strategic deal may lay out a series of target dates for handing Iraqis control over security in different parts of the country.

Under pressure to explain President George W. Bush's endorsement of an undefined "time horizon" for security in Iraq, spokeswoman Dana Perino said the accord will likely set specific dates for achieving specific security goals.

"We expect a aspirational goal, time horizon, as we describe it, for a date so it would be by 'X' month -- and it could be multiple dates," Perino told reporters.

"You could say, 'by this month we'll be able to take over this province, and then by this month, that province.' So those are the type of dates we're looking at," she said.




Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20080722%5cACQDJON200807221258DOWJONESDJONLINE000535.htm&&mypage=newsheadlines&title=US:%20Deal%20With%20Iraq%20May%20Have%20Many%20Security%20Handover%20Dates

[Zynx]

1. So....a timetable?

[high density]

4. No, "target dates"

:)

[Tempest]

2. Obama put Bush and McSame into damage control mode

There's no way they're going to recover from this.

[maddezmom]

3. I've read the presser from today twice and I'm more confused about the * position

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080722/20080722006358.html?.v=1

Dana is really over her head in this discussion.

[Tempest]

5. I read that too

And my reaction was "Huh?"

They're on their heels and they don't think well under pressure.

[maddezmom]

6. check out this headline: Bush not distracted by Obama's Iraq trip-White House

Bush not distracted by Obama's Iraq trip-White House 22 Jul 2008 20:50:28 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Matt Spetalnick

WASHINGTON, July 22 (Reuters) - The White House said on Tuesday that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's high-profile visit to Iraq may have been a "distraction for many" but not for President George W. Bush.

The Bush administration sought to play down the significance of Obama's trip after he ended it reaffirming that if elected he would withdraw U.S. troops in 16 months, something the White House opposes as an "arbitrary" timetable.

Obama's travels abroad appeared aimed at burnishing the first-term Illinois senator's foreign policy credentials and casting him in a more presidential light in the November election battle against Bush's fellow Republican, John McCain.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told Obama and other U.S. lawmakers traveling with him on Monday he hoped U.S. combat troops could be out of Iraq in 2010, a goal not far from Obama's own pledge on withdrawals.

more:http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N22302671.htm

:rofl:

[Tempest]

8. It's so much not a distraction, they had to issue a statement

Saying how much it's not a distraction.

What a bunch of amateurs.

[struggle4progress]

7. We've already handed over Sovereignty. Next on our list, we'll hand over Jurisdiction, but

only when the situation justifies it. After that, we plan to hand over Independence: but that's the sort of thing that can't be put on a time-table, of course. When the Iraqis are ready, we'll give them Authority. Eventually we'll hand over Control. Then it's on to handing over Power, but there's no point in rushing it. We haven't yet decided in what order to hand over Autonomy and Dominion: naturally, that depends on the situation on the ground. Rulership follows that on our list, and (after Rulership) Supremacy. Some revision will be required as we proceed. For example, maybe we should hand over Control before giving them Authority? This will be a long and arduous process