It’s Timetable Time<\/strong><\/a>
By Dan Froomkin<\/div>\n It’s a bit late and somewhat immaterial at this point, but it’s still worth observing that President Bush today did something he said he’d never do: Agree to a firm timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq.<\/strong><\/font> Peter Graff writes for Reuters: "Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari and U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker signed a long-awaited accord on Monday requiring Washington to withdraw its forces within three years. <\/p>\n"The signing ceremony put a formal end to months of negotiations over the pact on the future of the U.S. presence, which the Iraqi government approved on Sunday. The pact must still be passed in the Iraqi parliament, but the government is confident it will achieve this by the end of the month"…<\/p>\n
"The main focus for Iraqis is the pact at last committing the United States to withdraw a force that now numbers about 150,000 by Dec. 31, 2011, a firm date that reflects the growing confidence of Iraq’s government as violence has eased. Iraqi leaders consider the date to be a major negotiating victory after the administration of outgoing President George W. Bush long vowed not to accept a firm timetable"…<\/p>\n
"Under the deal, U.S. troops will leave the streets of Iraqi towns and villages by the middle of next year and leave Iraq altogether by the end of 2011. The deal also provides for Iraqi courts try U.S. soldiers for serious crimes committed while off duty, but only under very tight conditions." <\/p>\n
By contrast, here’s what Bush had to say in May 2007: "I believe setting a deadline for withdrawal would demoralize the Iraqi people, would encourage killers across the broader Middle East, and send a signal that America will not keep its commitments. Setting a deadline for withdrawal is setting a date for failure – and that would be irresponsible." <\/p>\n
Mary Beth Sheridan writes in The Washington Post: "The Iraqi government spokesman portrayed the pact as closing the book on the occupation that began with the US-led invasion in 2003. The total withdrawal will be completed by December 31, 2011. This is not governed by circumstances on the ground,’ the spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, told Iraqi reporters, pointedly rejecting the more conditional language that the U.S. government had sought in the accord…<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
At last, I’ve found something I disagree with Dan Froomkin about. I agree that, "
It’s a bit late<\/strong><\/font>," but I don’t agree that it’s, "somewhat immaterial at this point<\/strong><\/font>," that Bush agreed to a timetable. They tried everything in their power to get Iraq to agree to permanent bases in Iraq, but the Iraqis wouldn’t go along with it. Now they’ve agreed to a timetable that keeps us there for three years – on the Iraqis terms. Any other sensible Administration would leave such negotiations to their successors. It looks to me like Bush is trying to keep us there as long as possible – longer than Obama might choose to stay on his own.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
My sense of things is that Bush and Cheney are doing [going to do] everything possible to keep their policies in place. They just don’t know when to quit. They were elected to serve the people, but they never seemed to get it. They saw us as serving their wishes. There is no evidence that I know of that the American people stood behind the "Bush Doctrine"
:<\/strong><\/div>\n\n- \n
Pre-emptive War <\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
Unilateral Military Action <\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
Military Strength beyond Equal<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
Evangelical<\/strong><\/em> American Democracy<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n![](\"http:\/\/tbn0.google.com\/images?q=tbn:jWEkNTuIN0uklM:http:\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/213\/456003246_672160b71a_o.jpg\")
So I expect that Bush is not "backing down" or changing his mind. He’s doing what he can do to perpetuate his Pre-emptive War on Iraq in the hopes that it will vindicate his legacy, whether it benefits us or not. Dog owners will understand this metaphor: "He’s peeing on every bush" to the bitter end…<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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