October 15, 2008 4:18:35 PM CDT
(Newser) – Calling Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki's demand for a timetable for US withdrawal an "enormous opportunity," Barack Obama lays out his plan for ending the war in Iraq in a New York Times op-ed piece. The presumptive Democratic nominee reiterates his support for a careful withdrawal over 16 months, leaving behind a "residual force" which would perform limited missions. "The good news is that Iraq’s leaders want to take responsibility for their country by negotiating a timetable for the removal of American troops," he writes.
Obama cites US military estimates that Iraqi forces "will be will be ready to assume responsibility for security in 2009." He charges that both the Bush administration and John McCain are failing to seize the moment to "press the Iraqis to reach comprehensive political accommodation and achieve a successful transition." Ending the war would respect both Iraqi sovereignty and American popular will; it would also allow the military to refocus its efforts on Afghanistan and Pakistan, which he calls the true frontlines of the war on terror.
Source New York Times
Oct 11, 08 1:55 PM CDT As Iraq stabilizes itself, withdrawals have finally begun—for the media. Journalists have left Iraq in droves this year, the Washington Post reports. Last September, military units hosted 219 embedded journalists; this month, that number shrunk to 39. Of the dozen newspapers that once maintained Baghdad bureaus, only 4 remain. “Everyone realizes it's an important story,” said one correspondent. “But it’s been six years of this.” More »
Oct 6, 08 2:55 PM CDT Gen. David Petraeus faces an uphill battle in replicating the successes of the Iraq surge in Afghanistan, Michael Evans writes in the Times of London, “because the economic, social and political conditions are so different.” Afghanistan doesn’t have nearly the natural, fertile resources, and neither the US nor NATO allies can provide much in the way of troop reinforcements. More »
Sep 5, 08 10:47 AM CDT President Bush's top defense advisers have recommended he maintain 15 combat brigades in Iraq until the end of the year—contrary to expectations that the improved security in Iraq would allow for quicker cuts, the AP has learned. If Bush follows the recommendations, he would delay any additional buildup in Afghanistan until early next year. More »
Sep 5, 08 4:21 AM CDT The Bush administration conducted an extensive spying operation on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other Iraqi leaders even while seeking to win their trust, according to a new book from the Washington Post's Bob Woodward. The book portrays an administration hamstrung by indecision as its Iraq strategy fell apart in 2006, and a detached president orchestrated "overconfident" briefings on the situation. More »
Aug 22, 08 10:40 AM CDT The US's preliminary agreement with Iraq to withdraw most combat troops by 2011 would have been unthinkable even a few months ago. Declining levels of violence, a ceasefire with the Mahdi Army, and the about-face of Sunni leaders have all helped, the Wall Street Journal reports, but for the administration, one factor trumps all others: the strengthening of the Iraqi army from ragtag force to legitimate operation. More »
Barack Obama • Iraq • Iraq war • Afghanistan • Nouri al-Maliki • War on Terror • Iraq exit strategy
