How are dentists like in Iraq?

Why are republicans trying to take credit for Obama's Time Table and ending the war in Iraq?

• The Bush Administration Has Agreed on a Timetable for the Withdrawal of American Forces From Iraq The Bush administration and Maliki Government have agreed on a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces. The timetable would lead to the withdrawal of all American combat forces from Iraq by the end of 2011 and leave behind a residual force for training and support. All U.S. forces would be out of Iraqi cities by the middle of 2009. [Washington Post, 8/22/08] The agreement is very similar to Barack Obama’s plan and is more aggressive in some ways. Obama’s plan calls for the removal of all U.S. combat forces by the middle of 2010 – a year earlier than the Bush administration’s timetable. However, the Maliki-Bush timetable would have all U.S. combat forces out of Iraqi cities by the middle of 2009 -- a more aggressive plan than Obama’s. [NY Times, 8/21/08. Barack Obama] Prime Minister Maliki has specifically said that there will be no agreement between Iraq and the United States unless there is a “specific” timeline that is “not open-ended.” Speaking with tribal leaders, sheikhs and other prominent figures, al-Maliki said “There is an agreement between both sides that no foreign soldiers will be in Iraq after 2011.” He added that the accord "must be based on a specific deadline for the withdrawal of foreign forces and that it should not be open." [Washington Post, 8/26/08. CNN, 8/25/08] Despite the wishes of the Iraqi government, the American and Iraqi people, and even the Bush administration, John McCain continues to call for a permanent presence in Iraq and opposes timetables. Instead McCain criticizes timetables, equating them with surrender. He also believes that we should have permanent presence in Iraq stating that he would be willing to stay in Iraq for 100 years and comparing the American presence there to the presence in South Korea. [LA Times, 8/23/08. Bloomberg, 8/26/08] http://www.nsnetwork.org/node/947 I think Obama Time Table is what he used. President Barack Obama said Monday that he plans to keep his promise to end the U.S. war in Iraq by month's end. As a candidate, Obama campaigned that American troops would be out of the Iraq war by Aug. 31, 2010. "And that is exactly what we are doing as promised, on schedule," Obama said Monday in a speech at the Disabled American Veterans National Convention. By the end of August, more than 90,000 soldiers will have come home from Iraq, he added.

• Answer:

  Nov 17th 2008 NYT article