Looks like the Iraqis are looking to take over for our boys over there:

Iraq will not accept any security agreement with the United States unless it includes dates for the withdrawal of foreign forces, the government's national security adviser said on Tuesday.

The comments by Mowaffaq al-Rubaie underscore the U.S.-backed government's hardening stance toward a deal with Washington that will provide a legal basis for U.S. troops to operate when a U.N. mandate expires at the end of the year.

On Monday, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki appeared to catch Washington off-guard by suggesting for the first time that a timetable be set for the departure of U.S. forces under the deal being negotiated, which he called a memorandum of understanding.

Rubaie said Iraq was waiting "impatiently for the day when the last foreign soldier leaves Iraq".

"We can't have a memorandum of understanding with foreign forces unless it has dates and clear horizons determining the departure of foreign forces. We're unambiguously talking about their departure," Rubaie said in the holy Shi'ite city of Najaf.

It is a testament to the year's success in Iraq that they feel comfortable enough with the situation to begin pressing us to leave. I think the left will be astounded by the Bush administrations smiling acceptance of timetables from Iraqis when they were rejected outright when suggested by Democrats.

Of course, the difference is obvious to anyone with a brain.

Anyway, politically this is terrible news for McCain. Without the stark difference on the future of Iraq to lean on, I'm not sure he has anything to recommend him to the voters. If victory is complete by November, I'm positive I'll sit it out.

I've been predicting for years that Bush would have the troops mostly out of Iraq or on their way before he left office and this is just another piece of supporting evidence. I can't wait to watch the liberal retards try to reconcile that activity with their conspiratorial world view.

Time for some head-splodey.

* - Well, not "now."  I think both the Bush administration and the Iraqi government need a timeline established but for different reasons.  The military needs it so they can start drawing down forces in a relatively peaceful zone and reinforce Afghanistan while the Iraqis need it to make a show of independence to their constituents. 

The end result will be a drawdown at or above the rate suggested by Obama but leaving a rather hefty rapid-reaction force to deal with any upticks in violence.  Also, they'll help force Iran to think a few extra times before doing anything stupid. 

Posted by: Moron Pundit at 12:15 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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