1.3 million dead Iraqis??? Where the hell did that come from? That is nonsense.

And yes we will go back and if one believes Obama’s stance on strike forces we will not really leave.

If the country of Iraq collapses in that strategic region of the world, there is no way we will just ignore it.

“…it will be the young soldiers who have to go back..yet again.
Terrye on July 21, 2008 at 7:24 PM

We ain’t goin’ back Terrye. We’re gonna let them sort it out!

“…a shooting war in Pakistan Iraq will seem almost tame in comparison.
Terrye on July 21, 2008 at 7:26 PM

Compared to 1.3 million Iraqis dead and 4K+KIA and 40K+WIA brave US men and women troopers in Iraq…

Oh holy Jesus no, NO… that will really be hell on earth!

You Terrye, don’t have a clue.

My last words.

Leadership? You have got to be kidding.

Some refer to it as incentive?
J_Gocht on July 21, 2008 at 7:09 PM

As an olde soldier, I refer to it as real, honest, bold leadership!

Thank you Barrak!

Maliki did not kick anyone off. It was just a few days ago he signed a security arrangement with the Bush administration.

Some refer to it as incentive?

That is ridiculous. If it were not for the surge, which Obama still does not support, there would not have been the improvements in the security situation. I know that Obama and his fan club think he is a God but he did not do a damn thing to make things better in Iraq, in fact he did the opposite and now he is exploiting the situation.

The truth is that he has changed his position on Iraq so many times that most people do not even know what it is anymore. And Maliki has said enough different things in the last two weeks that no one is really sure what he wants either.

I think that Maliki is hedging his bets. Just in case Obama wins he wants him on his side. Meanwhile Obama might well be telling the guy to just not worry about that whole timetable thing, if things get rough Maliki can count on him, if he can count on Maliki. Strong horse and all that.

No, J, If left to Obama and his ilk, Maliki would not be the Prime Minister and Iraqis would still be watching Saddam TV 24/7 while that crazy psycho raped and pillaged the country.

But it is true, that without people like McCain, people like Obama and Maliki could not even think about when Iraq could stand on its own as a functioning democracy.
Terrye on July 21, 2008 at 6:31 PM

Terrye me dear, methinks you’ve got that scenario just round basse ackwards…?

It’s a guy just like Senator Obama that’s given Mr. Maliki bothe the example and the emphatic post haste reason to step up so we can step down!

Thank you dear Lord God!

“…hundred years in Iraq” Oh Jesus NO!

Obama’s 16 months is the middle pf 2010. The Iraqis say that they prefer the end of 2010. Hey, maybe it will even go into the early part of 2011. And of course there is that strike force that Obama wants to leave behind.

So McCain has talked about 2012 or 2013. In the end, events will dictate the withdrawal date.

I still think Maliki is trying to win the next election in his country, just like Obama and McCain are trying to win the one here in November. So a lot of this is just politics, just like the Democratic Congress’s promises to end the war by now.

But it is true, that without people like McCain, people like Obama and Maliki could not even think about when Iraq could stand on its own as a functioning democracy.

McCain should embrace the Maliki statements. It is what we all wanted. When they stand up, we stand down. Well, they are standing up.
Time to stand down.
mw on July 21, 2008 at 2:29 PM

I can’t remember how long I’ve been hoping someone would remember that phrase and hold someone’s, anyone’s feet to the fire…!

You da poster “mw”!

According to the Times translation, Prime Minister Maliki was asked specifically about a timetable and he referenced Senator Obama’s — the only one out there — and said it could be suitable with changes. And of course, whether or not it is suitable and what changes are made will be determined by the conditions on the ground. That’s not an endorsement of Obama’s position. Obama’s position was to be out by last March, regardless of the situation, regardless of the consequences.

And then when she asked him about Afghanistan. He should have said:

The difference is, now Al Qaeda is leaving Iraq in defeat and headed to Afghanistan in desperation. If Senator Obama had his way, they’d be leaving Iraq victorious, they’d still control Iraq and they would be emboldened and confident that they could win in Afghanistan, too.

Senator Obama would have had us withdrawing from Iraq and heading to Afghanistan. Instead, because of the success of the surge that he opposed, it’s Al Qaeda who’s withdrawing from Iraq. That’s because we’re winning in Iraq and I happened to believe winning there was important. Senator Obama did not.

I wasn’t being a doomsdayer if it sounded like it. He just enables other to pat themselves on the back while others suffer.

He yammers on about how Obama doesn’t visit Iraq, explicitly implying that makes his qualifications to be President a lot less, and well now Obama has visited both Iraq and Afghanistan and Kuwait, which by McCain’s “logic” would make Obama’s qualifications to be President go up a lot.

He pitched Obama a softball and Obama appears to be hitting a home run.

Exit question: What effect will this have on the next round of polls?

It’s just one poll but in the last day Obama has gone from 3 ahead of McCain to 6 ahead in the Gallup poll. And that is a 3 day “rolling poll”, so the last day was likely a biggie for Obama.

Can anyone say PWNZOR?

Any of you who are attempting recovery from Boomer Whining Addiction should probably skip this post, ’cause I’m whining a little. I’d hate to be the cause of any of you falling off the wagon.
I think we’re watching one of those …

I can totally see a vindictive McCain punishing Maliki for this. He won’t forget it – he holds grudges for sure.

aero on July 21, 2008 at 11:59 AM

If McVindictive wins Malika better be reading up on what happened to Ngo Dinh Diem.

WMD – check
Odai/Qusay – check
Saddam Hussein – check
Zarqawi – check
Elections – check
Constitution (with Islam, the Great Religion of Peace enshrined in it) – check

Do they really want to miss this one?