Iraq government backs Barack Obama's troop withdrawal pledge

[ck4829]

Barack Obama's campaign for the US presidency received another boost today when the Iraqi government welcomed him to Baghdad by again appearing to back his timetable for withdrawing troops from the country.

The Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh expressed hopes that combat forces could leave by 2010 – in line with Obama's pledge to withdraw troops within 16 months of the US election.

"We are hoping that in 2010 that combat troops will withdraw from Iraq," Dabbagh told reporters, noting that any withdrawal plan was subject to change if the level of violence rises again.

The statement comes after talks between Obama and the prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, and a weekend when the Iraqi government unconvincingly tried to clarify its position on troop withdrawals.

In an interview published on Saturday with the German paper Der Spiegel, Maliki backed Obama's timetable.

"Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal," he was quoted as saying.

Maliki's aides claimed his comments were "misunderstood" but did not issue the full retraction it is understood the White House had sought.

Today, Der Spiegel today stood by its story and published a full transcript of the interview. Dabbagh, speaking after Obama and Maliki's meeting, said the government did not endorse a fixed date, but was hopeful that US combat units could be out of Iraq sometime in 2010. Obama made no public statements following the talks.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/21/barackobama.iraq

[liberalmuse]

1. This is big.

I see it being trumped all over the news and will have a profound effect on Iraq policy from here on out. This is the first we Americans have heard anything decisive from both a US and Iraqi political leader since this godforsaken disaster began.