Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki Backs Obama's 16 Month Withdrawal, Timetable. Surprise Bush Doesn’t Agree

What should be the biggest blow yet to the Republican Parties credibility, Iraq wants a timetable and backs Sen. Barack Obama’s withdrawal plan.

According to Reuters: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told a German magazine he supported prospective U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's proposal that U.S. troops should leave Iraq within 16 months.

In an interview with Der Spiegel, Maliki said he wanted U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq as soon as possible. "U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes."It is the first time he has backed the withdrawal timetable put forward by Obama. "Whoever is thinking about the shorter term is closer to reality. Artificially extending the stay of U.S. troops would cause problems."

Who would want to cause problems?: "Maliki told Der Spiegel, "The Americans (Bush administration) have found it difficult to agree on a concrete timetable for the exit because it seems like an admission of defeat to them. But it isn't."

This is proof once again that Bush never had an exit plan, because it would look "like an admission of defeat," instead of a logical military course of action. This is a case of believing your own fabricated lies about “winning” and “victory;” that withdrawing is cutting and running, and only Democrats would bow to the terrorists and hand Iraq over by leaving.

President Bush said Maliki had agreed that a security deal under negotiation should set a "time horizon" for meeting "aspirational goals" for reducing U.S. forces in Iraq.

The Republican game of semantics is a sad alternative to a situation that calls for a heavy dose of “strait talk.” Bush and McCain have chosen the former.

Here's Sen. Obama reframing the whole Iraq debate.



UPDATE: July 20, 2008: CBS/AP) A German magazine which published an interview with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki stating his support for presidential candidate Barack Obama's proposed 16-month timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq is standing by its interview, despite statements issued by an al-Maliki spokesman claiming he was "mistranslated."

UPDATE: July 21, 2008: German Magazine did not mistranslate Maliki according to translation by NY Times. SO THERE. Now, after Iraqi officials met with Obama, they confirm a timeline to leave in 2010 sometime.