US President George W. Bush long has vowed that the United States would leave Iraq if asked by Baghdad's leadership, but now that the request has been made, Bush is in no hurry to exit.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080713...militaryunrest

What is the real motivation behind this?


E.Pluribus Unum

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E.Pluribus Unum

People of power have NO good will and people of good will have NO power.

If you think Education is Expensive try Ignorance.

Its weak too speak and blame somebody else when you destroy yourself.

Even though I usually don't like the term "flip-flop" because reasonable people change their perspective as new information becomes available, this one does look like a flip-flop.

Obviously, you haven't spent any time researching the issue, have you?

Maliki has asked that the next extension include a withdrawal timetable -- duh! The two governments are meeting now, trying to figure out a timetable that enables the Maliki government to be able to control the security of Iraq.

Once again -- half truths.

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Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.

---- Ronald Reagan

What really matters at this point is: what are the relative positions of McCain and Obama on an exit date? Will McCain stick by his "hundred years" remark, and will Obama stick to the timetable he's set up?

There will be no withdrawal during the current administration's reign.

really, i thought the pentagon, which the shrub commands, objected to the withdrawal request and/or a timetable:
http://i2.democracynow.org/2008/7/8/headlines

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5...On4akMaodYYcqQ

maliki needs to be able to show he is not a puppet

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/07/08/...stay%E2%80%99/

the ball is now in our court. do we provide a timetable and give maliki cover or do we refuse to leave when asked and prove once again that our president is a liar

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Quote:

"I like to watch the news, because I don't like people very much and when you watch the news ... if you ever had an idea that people were really terrible, you could watch the news and know that you're right."

Frank Zappa

Before you ask, I suggest you review the context of McCain's 100 year remark -- you are misrepresenting it.

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Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.

---- Ronald Reagan

Actually, you're right -- sorta.

The military doesn't want to be stuck with an arbitrary timetable that isn't responsive to the situation on the ground.

Maliki wants to have a timetable so that he can show the Iraqis he isn't a puppet.

Both of them are valid .... it's just a matter of giving a timetable, with enough soft wording that will enable Maliki to back off when the time comes, or enough concrete conditions that the military can leave with confidence that the Iraqi security forces can hold the fort.

__________________
Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.

---- Ronald Reagan

Seems fishy to me that now with an election on the line Maliki would ask for a timetable. Why now 113 days away from our election?

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ACCEPTANCE IS THE ANSWER!

We will knock on the door, if it does not open, we will revolt for our rights.

Im a Tarte, what! you want some of this?

I'm sure McCain didn't mean 100 years necessarily. The truth be told he probably meant for 100 years or until their oil runs out, whichever comes first! LOL!

This McCain quote is even more telling - "My friends, I will have an energy policy that we will be talking about, which will eliminate our dependence on oil from the Middle East that will — that will then prevent us — that will prevent us from having ever to send our young men and women into conflict again in the Middle East."

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"I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center." - Kurt Vonnegut

It's an interesting question. You would think that Maliki is very interested in how our election goes. But, assuming he doesn't want Obama, his request would seem to undermine McCain. But, I guess his first concern is staying in office himself -- LOL.

The timing, however, is more coincidental than anything. The Status Of Forces Agreement was up for negotiation, because the UN resolution is due to expire at the end of the year.

__________________
Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.

---- Ronald Reagan