superchunk said:
I'm not talking about the surge. Even though I actually agree it was necessary. I'm talking about the shorter timetable to removing troops whereas previously Bush and McCain had no timetable at all. Just a week or so ago Bush/US and the Iraqi government agreed US troops would be out in 18 months. Did you completely miss that news? That is basically the exact same thing Obama has been saying since he began his run for pres. To pull out in a predetermined time, less than 2 years. Our handover of the Ankbar district the other day was part of this gradual decline.
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It's not an 18 month timetable. The troop pull out will be based on security measures and if the measures are met on the proposed timetable then the 1st wave will happen in 18 months. But if the security measures are not made then the pull out will be postponed.
If anything this was done in reaction to the fact that Obama may win. Obama, with all his expereince, wanted to pull out troops immediately, which would leave the Iraqis to the mercy of sectarian violence. This atleast assures them that the troops will stay until they Iraqis can secure the civilians.
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