Just in case Bush didn't hear Maliki say "Get the fuck out of our country!", it's been underscored

[99th_Monkey]

for the apparently hard-of-hearing Decider by Iraq's National Security Advisor, Mr. Mouwaffak al-Rubaie.

Meanwhile at the WhiteHouse **crickets**

*************************************

July 8, 2008 - 8:48pm.

By SALLY BUZBEE

Iraq's national security adviser said Tuesday his country will not accept any security deal with the United States unless it contains specific dates for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces.

The comments by Mouwaffak al-Rubaie were the strongest yet by an Iraqi official about the deal now under negotiation with U.S. officials. They came a day after Iraq's prime minister first said publicly that he expects the pending troop deal with the United States to have some type of timetable for withdrawal.

President Bush has said he opposes a timetable. The White House said Monday it did not believe Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was proposing a rigid timeline for U.S. troop withdrawals.

U.S. officials had no immediate comment Tuesday on al-Rubaie's statement.

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/cont/node/9319

[csziggy]

1. Remember - Bush said "there will be no pullout from Iraq while I'm president"

# Ewen MacAskill in Washington
# The Guardian,
# Thursday August 23, 2007

President George Bush sought to buy more time for his Iraq "surge" strategy yesterday by making a risky comparison for the first time with the bloodshed and chaos that followed the US pullout from Vietnam.

Making it clear he will resist congressional pressure next month for an early withdrawal, he signalled that US troops, whom he hailed as the "greatest force for human liberation the world has ever known", will be in Iraq as long as he is president. He also said the consequences of leaving "without getting the job done would be devastating", and "the enemy would follow us home".

Mr Bush's speech came on the day that the US suffered one of its highest daily death tolls since the 2003 invasion, with 14 troops killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed.

More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/aug/23/usa.iraq1

[OmahaBlueDog]

2. I have a different takeaway

I think Maliki needs to look tough and independent, and I think the administration needs a face-saving strategy to make it appear the war is heading toward a conclusion. The administration will end up negotiating some sort of long-tail time table, and - in doing so- claim that the surge is worked and America's role in Iraqui freedom is now drawing to a close. I'll bet the announcement will come right around the week of our convention -- maybe even the day of the acceptance speech.

[99th_Monkey]

3. I'm sure that's entirely possible. It would be a smart move by the war criminals to wind it down

or at least be appearing to wind it down, to have "completed the mission .. no REALLY this time"

to position their sorry asses to have more than a snowball's chance at winning the Nov election.