"A Timetable" for Leaving Iraq

[et]

Bush was against it before he was for it. Just like McCain. 

Only a few weeks ago, Maliki's Minions openly favored Obama's timetable and they negotiated and announced one prior to that.  What did Bush do? Bush hit the airwaves with "that's not what I heard when I talked to him, and I talked to him yesterday". 

And he also up his rhetoric toward Iran during the same period.

So where do you suppose this story will lead? 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080807/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_us_bases;_ylt=Ak9wNlzFBvxdBA7NA1Ebz4Ws0NUE

[IBEW]

Biden tells Obama Afghanistan will get worse

By Jennifer Loven - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jan 14, 2009 21:54:15 EST
   
WASHINGTON — Freshly returned from a tour of war zones and global hotspots, Vice President-elect Joe Biden told President-elect Barack Obama on Wednesday that “things are going to get tougher” in Afghanistan.

GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, Biden’s partner in the five-day, bipartisan fact-finding mission to Kuwait, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq, predicted that “casualties are likely to increase” in Afghanistan as the number of U.S. troops there goes up this year.

The U.S. is rushing as many as 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, seeking to the turn the tide in fighting that has seen al-Qaida-linked militants and the Taliban make a comeback after initial defeats in the U.S.-led invasion in 2001.

“It is a fair criticism to say, Mr. President, that we have taken our eye off the ball in Afghanistan and we need to re-engage,” Graham, R-S.C., said. “And that re-engagement is going to come at a heavy price.”

Biden and Graham gave Obama an initial report on their trip to the four countries, all central to America’s security agenda and the broader war on terror, at Obama’s transition headquarters. They will present the president-elect later with a more detailed accounting, including recommendations for action based on what they saw and heard.

Reporters weren’t allowed into the meeting where Biden and Graham briefed Obama, but the trio talked to reporters brought in after it was over.

“The truth is that things are going to get tougher in Afghanistan before they’re going to get better,” Biden said.

Biden said he and Graham went to each country “to listen, not to convey policy.” But, he said, they expressed concern to some leaders, when necessary, “about some of their actions — or lack of actions.”

For instance, they both emphasized the crucial role Pakistan will play in whether the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan can be successful. Militants cross the porous, dangerous border from the lawless frontier on the Pakistani side into Afghanistan, where they attack U.S. troops.

Biden said they told officials everywhere they went that there is a great need to build “political institutions that are sustainable.”

“Focusing on personalities is not the key to success,” he said.

Obama said little to reporters, other than thanking the two senators and announcing that he plans to enlist Graham as “one of our counselors” on foreign policy.

“The recommendations that you’re going to be delivering to me are going to be of enormous help in making sure that we do what is my No. 1 task as president-elect and as president, and that is to keep the American people safe and to make sure that when we deploy our military, that we do so with a clear sense of mission and with strong support from the American people,” Obama said.

Obama pledged during his election campaign to withdraw all American combat troops from Iraq within 16 months of taking office and shift the focus to Afghanistan.

Biden, still chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee until his expected resignation from his Senate seat before becoming vice president on Tuesday, took the trip as a member of Congress, not as incoming vice president.

But it was a distinction without a difference.

The administration-in-waiting wanted to show its interest in the crucial region as soon as possible. And an official White House trip would have been much more cumbersome and have taken much longer to organize than what’s known in Capitol Hill-speak as a CODEL, or congressional delegation trip. Graham is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

———

Associated Press writer Ann Sanner contributed to this story.
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/01/ap_biden_obama_afghanistan_011409/

[IBEW]

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iraq/2009/06/iraq-090617-afps01.htm

Coalition’s Iraq Withdrawal Plans on Track, Officials Say
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 17, 2009 – Everything is on track for the withdrawal of American troops from the cities of Iraq, Iraqi and coalition officials said this week.

Iraqi security forces are set to assume responsibility for the areas, Iraqi spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said at a June 15 news conference.

“The step of withdrawal of American forces from the city will be a main step in this effort,” he said. “And the Iraqi government is committed to receive all the security responsibility and protect security, protect its citizens and all foreigners who are working and living in Iraq.”

The security forces also will provide protection for embassies, foreign missions and the commercial and cultural missions working in Iraq, he added.

The spokesman also noted the longer-range goal of withdrawal of all American combat forces from Iraq by December 2011. “The Iraqi government affirms that the American forces will complete … the withdrawal of the combat forces at the specific time, and will leave limited numbers from the technicians with our security forces for the purpose of training, and will operate some equipment based on the request of the Iraqi government,” he said.

The United States remains firmly committed to fulfilling the terms of the security agreement, said Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational Force Iraq.

“In accordance with this security agreement, U.S. combat forces will leave the cities on 30 June, and it will be a great day for the Iraqi people,” the general said. The improvements in security and the professionalism of the Iraqi army and police have enabled this step, he added.

The withdrawal includes the city of Mosul and the province of Ninevah. A few months ago, Odierno acknowledged, he had reservations about pulling out of Mosul. Meanwhile, Iraqi security forces have increased their presence in the city.

“We have had very successful operations in Mosul over the last 45 days,” Odierno said. “We have been able to detain several key leaders. I feel much more comfortable now where we’re at in Mosul.”

The flow of foreign fighters into Iraq has decreased significantly, Odierno said. “In fact, for the most part, it’s been just a trickle,” he said, crediting border enforcement inside Iraq and Syrian cooperation. Al-Qaida in Iraq has been degraded significantly, and though the terror group still can launch attacks, it is becoming more difficult, the general said.

“The dark days of previous years are behind us,” he added. “Today, Iraqis are able to lead more normal lives, more children are in schools, restaurants are beginning to open, shops are doing business, and parliament is meeting.”

The numbers of attacks in Iraq has dropped significantly. Military officials said the number of attacks in May was at the lowest level since August 2003. Attacks against civilians, attacks against Iraqi security forces and attacks against coalition forces all are down.

“Across Iraq, attacks remain low as a result of the strong partnership between Iraqi and U.S. security forces, forged in tough fighting during the surge of operations that began in January of 2007,” Odierno said.

Since the U.S.-Iraq security agreement took effect in January, coalition forces have closed or returned 142 bases to Iraq control. “And since last September, we have reduced over 30,000 Multinational Force Iraq troops in all of Iraq,” the general said.

Coalition forces had operated from about 460 bases, and now operate from about 320. “We will continue to reduce those this year,” Odierno said, “and we will continue to reduce both our forces and the number of bases in 2010 and through December of 2011, when we will be completely withdrawn from Iraq.”

“Enablers” such as logistics and aircraft are on track, said Iraqi Defense Minister Abdul Qader Mohammad Jassim al-Mafrji.

“We will have capabilities for helicopter support starting the middle of 2010,” al-Mafrji said. “This will grow gradually, but [we] plan to be able at the end of 2011 to have complete support. The support also needs logistical support, and logistical support is focused greatly on medevac.”