White House Falsely Claims Iraq Security Agreement Establishes Only ‘Aspirational’ Withdrawal Deadline
White House Falsely Claims Iraq Security Agreement Establishes Only ‘Aspirational’ Withdrawal Deadline
Over the weekend, Iraq’s cabinet “overwhelmingly approved a proposed security agreement that calls for a full withdrawal of American forces from the country by the end of 2011.” Noting President Bush’s long-held opposition to “artificial timetables,” one reporter asked at today’s White House press conference if the inclusion of a deadline in the security agreement was a “departure” from or “repudiation” of Bush’s views on Iraq.
Press Secretary Dana Perino demurred, claiming that the security agreement is, in fact, in line with Bush’s views on Iraq because it included only an “aspirational” deadline for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq:
QUESTION: The President has said for months that he opposes any timetable and that any decision should be based on the conditions on the ground. How much is the latest agreement a departure, if not a repudiation — ?
PERINO: [W]hen you work with a partner on a negotiation, you have to concede some points. One of the points that we conceded was that we would establish these aspirational dates.
Watch it:
In reality, there is nothing “aspirational” about the security agreement’s withdrawal deadline. Members of the Iraqi government are referring to the pact as a “withdrawal agreement” and the Washington Post reported just how firm the deadline is:
“The total withdrawal will be completed by December 31, 2011. This is not governed by circumstances on the ground,” the [Iraqi government] spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, told Iraqi reporters, pointedly rejecting the more conditional language that the U.S. government had sought in the accord.
In addition, the “Iraqi spokesman noted that his government could cancel the agreement if its own forces became capable of controlling security at an earlier time.”
The agreement guarantees a more complete withdrawal from Iraq than even President-elect Barack Obama proposed. As Spencer Ackerman noted, “Obama’s plan for a 30,000-troop residual force? Officially overtaken by events.” The agreement also prohibits the U.S. military from conducting raids on Iraqi homes “without an order from an Iraqi judge and permission of the government,” and requires U.S. forces to “leave the streets of Iraq’s towns and villages by the middle of 2009.”
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Looking forward to when the Bush Administration’s respirational desires give up the ghost.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:02 pmHeaven forbid we ignore the directive given to us by the democratically elected government of a sovereign nation.
again
November 17th, 2008 at 2:05 pmUh, Bush? White House? We no longer give a damn what you say as it is MEANINGLESS.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:05 pmwow, perino will forever be soul-less and thinks we are that dumb.
perino is one dumb bltch.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:08 pmLet’s pray this does NOT get signed until we have Adult Leadership back in the WH!!!
November 17th, 2008 at 2:08 pmCan anyone guess the world leader who issued these remarks?:
“Victory means exit strategy, and it’s important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is.”
“I think it’s also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn.”
If you guessed George W. Bush give yourself a gold star! Both quotes circa 1999 and pointed at then President Bill Clinton. My how thw world has changed since then!
November 17th, 2008 at 2:10 pmI can’t wait for the aspirational date of jan. 20th.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:10 pmDoesn’t sound very “aspirational” In fact it sounds pretty firm.
Oh, it was dana….I’m sorry, now I understand.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:12 pmPerino is a Barbie.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:13 pm“Aspirational goals”, another contribution to the scroll like list of Bush’s hollow pharses. What better way to sandbag on budgets, plans, and projects than to call them “aspirational.” Dana might as well say this:
“Timmy, what’s your employment aspirational goal when you achieve adulthood?”
instead of “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
November 17th, 2008 at 2:13 pmTwo months and three days and we wave bye-bye to one of the most asspurrational administrations ever.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:14 pmGod how refreshing it’s going to be to get a press secretary that doesn’t suffer from cognitive dissonance or just plain old pathalogical lying.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:15 pmOne has to wonder what Bimbo Perino sees when she looks at herself in the mirror. Does she see someone who gets up and lies to the American people on almost a daily basis, or does she actually believe the lies?
November 17th, 2008 at 2:15 pmI know I will release a strong burst of air after we withdraw…
November 17th, 2008 at 2:17 pmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspiration_(phonetics)
I’m starting to wonder if The Chimp even comprehends his presidency is over on 1/20/09. I bet he thinks his leaving office is dependent on the “conditions on the ground”.
If he doesn’t, those 1.5 million scheduled to be on “the ground” in Washington, D.C. for the inauguration will surely remind him:
G.W.(1/20/09): Laura, what’s all those people doin’ out there?
Laura: Telling you to get the f*** out of town, George. You’re fired.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:17 pmPetition President-elect Obama to Make Step 1 Restoring the Constitution
https://secure.pfaw.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=restore_the_constitution&JServSessionIdr003=mm3jc5w0i3.app303a
November 17th, 2008 at 2:19 pmWho is George Bush and why does anyone care what he thinks or says?
November 17th, 2008 at 2:22 pmSomeone from the press should have read that paragraph out loud to Perino. “It says right here, Dana . . . “
November 17th, 2008 at 2:22 pmIraq security agreement was approved by puppet polititians. Not by the Iraqui people. FREE IRAQ NOW!
November 17th, 2008 at 2:22 pmObama’s picked for inteligence transitional team John Brhanan the criminal who promoted WMD, soy on americans, promoted redition flights, used of torture, black sites and secreet prisions. WHERE IS THE CHANGE??????????????!!!!!!!! Obama, please, do not disapoint us! People voted, you have a mandate! So far it has been a ot of rethoric but no Real change! It is begining to sound like Pelosi…
November 17th, 2008 at 2:24 pmBush/Cheney wont be around for any decisions that will be made with Iraq. Barbie will also be collecting her unemployment check and will be glad Presidnet Obama passed the extension plan.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:24 pmOff-Topic but YARR!:
Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
November 17th, 2008 at 2:24 pmKeeping gates in the Pentagon, a criminal who was involved in the Iran-Contra scandal, is more of the same!!!! WHERE IS THE CHANGE???????
November 17th, 2008 at 2:26 pmsacopenapa I could not find anything on John Brhanan?
Link or correct spelling please.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:29 pmBush will sign the agreement, then issue a signing statement that will ignore the withdrawal portion.
After all, chimpy IS the self-appointed “decider”.
taking bets anyone?
November 17th, 2008 at 2:30 pmHe’s promoting soy? That bastard! Flax or Death!
November 17th, 2008 at 2:34 pm“The Borgen Project has some good info on the cost of addressing global poverty.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:34 pm$30 billion: Annual shortfall to end world hunger.
$540 billion: Annual U.S. Defense Budget.”
The Borgen Project has some good information on the cost of addressing global poverty
November 17th, 2008 at 2:35 pm$30 billion: Annual shortfall to end world hunger.
$540 billion: Annual U.S. Defense Budget.
I hope we have a real estate agent working in Baghdad to get a purchase agreement for us on the White Elephant Embassy there. From the sounds of it, our diplomats will never occupy it so it should be put to some other productive use and we should get at least a little bit of our $500 million back in return.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:38 pmsacopenapa Says:
If you keep spamming the same nonsense on each thread, I am going to have to start flagging you.
Now would you like to provide a link to your claims, so we can all read about it and judge for ourselves?
November 17th, 2008 at 2:39 pmFor the Iraqis, this treaty is a “withdrawal agreement” but I’m surprised Bush hasn’t called it a “victory agreement” or brought out “mission accomplished” banner out of mothballs. The only lies worth telling are the big lies.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:39 pmlurker Says:
sacopenapa I could not find anything on John Brhanan?
Link or correct spelling please.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
It’s John Brennan. Democracy Now had a good interview on him today, and Glenn Greenwald has a good story about him.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:40 pm#sacopenapa Says:
Obama’s picked for inteligence transitional team John Brhanan the criminal who promoted WMD, soy on americans, promoted redition flights, used of torture, black sites and secreet prisions. WHERE IS THE CHANGE??????????????!!!!!!!! Obama, please, do not disapoint us! People voted, you have a mandate! So far it has been a ot of rethoric but no Real change! It is begining to sound like Pelosi…
Ok, since you are not willing to allow Obama the time he needs to make necessary changes and are condemning him for things you think he will do, you have now reached TROLL status.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:40 pmsoy what!
November 17th, 2008 at 2:41 pm#tom Says:
I hope we have a real estate agent working in Baghdad to get a purchase agreement for us on the White Elephant Embassy there. From the sounds of it, our diplomats will never occupy it so it should be put to some other productive use and we should get at least a little bit of our $500 million back in return.
Don’t worry, the Iraqi’s will take it from us. After all, we built it on land owned by Iraq.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:42 pmThanks hussein toasterhead for the links.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:43 pmsacopenapa Says:
Keeping gates in the Pentagon, a criminal who was involved in the Iran-Contra scandal, is more of the same!!!! WHERE IS THE CHANGE???????
Reported as a spamming troll.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:44 pmHere’s John Brennan on News Hour in 2005 talking about rendition, borrowed from the Greenwald article:
No mention, of course, that Egypt uses some of the most heinous practices of torture in the world…
November 17th, 2008 at 2:45 pmOn the one hand I don’t want to help Bush out or anything, but can he really be so stupid and be so surrounded by morons that he can’t see what a diamond the Iraqis have laid in this lap?
A smart lame duck would start hollering about how this proves his strategy was right and violence is down and they’re standing up and we’re standing down and victory is in sight and history is already redeeming him and blah blah blah.
Instead the lying sack of cute goes out and tries to convince the world that down is up. Wotta bunch o’ dopes.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:49 pmHate to go off topic, but sacopenapa’s post brought up a few other questions that I’d like answered about Obama.
Keep in mind, I voted for, and support, him; but
1] Why hasn’t Obama gone back to Hawaii for his grandmother’s funeral ?
2] Do you suppose that she was already dead when he went back a few weeks ago ?
3] If so, why announce her death one (1) day before the election ? sympathy vote?
Just askin’-but maybe I missed the coverage of her funeral.
Why the Top Secrecy ?
¶ AIO
November 17th, 2008 at 2:49 pmYou weren’t invited
November 17th, 2008 at 2:52 pm#41 AIO:
>>Barack Obama’s late grandmother remembered by friends and others as strong woman
By HERBERT A. SAMPLE | Associated Press Writer
12:17 AM CST, November 15, 2008
HONOLULU (AP) _ The late grandmother of President-elect Barack Obama was eulogized Friday as a strong, vibrant woman who was dedicated to her profession and her family.
About 150 friends, former co-workers and others gathered to pay their respects to Madelyn Dunham at a 45-minute ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Dunham died Nov. 2 at the age of 86, two days before Obama won the presidency. She and her late husband, Stanley, raised him from 1971 until he graduated high school and left Hawaii in 1979.
Neither Obama nor his sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, attended. A private family ceremony is likely to be held sometime next month when Obama is expected to visit the islands.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/sns-ap-obama-grandmother,0,4272951.story
November 17th, 2008 at 2:55 pmBut also let’s say an individual goes to Egypt because they’re an Egyptian citizen and the Egyptians then have a longer history in terms of dealing with them, and they have family members and others that they can bring in, in fact, to be part of the whole interrogation process.
Those family members would rather not partake in the interrogation process.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:56 pm>Pirates capture Saudi oil tanker
Their going to be p@ssed when they find out its filled with Enzyte…
November 17th, 2008 at 2:57 pmBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
Ok, since you are not willing to allow Obama the time he needs to make necessary changes and are condemning him for things you think he will do, you have now reached TROLL status.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
_______
Like it or not, sarco is bringing up some important issues that we should be watching critically and objectively. The man Obama has chosen as transition chief for intelligence issues – and who may be appointed as the new Director of National Intelligence – is someone who has gone on record as recently as 2007 supporting torture, supporting rendition, supporting domestic wiretapping, and supporting telecom immunity.
Now, it is still early, and I do want to give Obama and his team the benefit of the doubt. It’s possible that Brennan has completely repudiated his earlier beliefs, and now opposes torture and rendition and spying on Americans. It’s also possible that Brennan is one of the “opposing viewpoints” Obama says he wants in his administration.
But it’s also possible that the action we see the new President take to reverse his predecessor’s record of torture and human rights violations and war crimes will be one of repackaging rather than reversing. We need to watch this carefully.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:57 pmHate to go off topic but is alphainfinityomega grasping at straws while crapping her pants over having a real leader as the leader?
November 17th, 2008 at 2:59 pmalphainfinityomega Says:
1] Why hasn’t Obama gone back to Hawaii for his grandmother’s funeral ?
Just askin’-but maybe I missed the coverage of her funeral.
Why the Top Secrecy ?
November 17th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
________
I don’t see any conspiracies here. I’d wager it’s because his family would rather not have Madelyn Dunham’s funeral become a media circus.
November 17th, 2008 at 3:01 pmlivelongandprosper Says:
Those family members would rather not partake in the interrogation process.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
________
Yeah, they much prefer their fingernails and genitals intact, thank you very much.
November 17th, 2008 at 3:04 pmThe Date formerly known as 12/31/11 will now be referred to only as ‘Aspriational Day’.
November 17th, 2008 at 3:05 pmMmm, no Dana, they want you out now. As a matter of fact, they never invited you in to begin with.
November 17th, 2008 at 3:06 pmsacopenapa, first of all I share some of your concern about Gates and some of the others surrounding Obama right now, particularly those from the Clinton administration. I’d like to see Obama cut loose anyone from either of the two recent administrations. But I am willing to wait until he’s actually President and SEE what he does before totally freaking out. Your postings have been 100% negative, and it gets old fast. You make me think of some old guy with a long, white beard and a robe, carrying a sign “The End is Near.” My read on the majority of commenters on this board is that we are ALL sensitized to the issues you are addressing, and we will respond and react when the time is right, not choose to be a reactionary before the man even takes office.
I have a couple of concerns about the Iraqi agreement, neither of which I’ve seen addressed recently in the media. #1 – does the agreement address the issue of the militarized contractors in the country (Blackwater, et.al), and #2, since this agreement will necessitate continuing funding of troops until at least Dec. 31, 2011, why doesn’t our own Congress have to approve this agreement as well?
November 17th, 2008 at 3:09 pmjohnedwin Says: FLAGGED COMMERCIAL SPAMING
November 17th, 2008 at 3:11 pmPretty little bimbo…
I’ll bet that she was a journalism major, too. Just didn’t spend any time studying journalistic ethics.
There is nothing ‘aspirational’ about a contractual obligation as outlined in an agreement or treaty. Nothing. What a lousy choice of words.
Maybe, in a couple of months, she’ll be off to host America’s Funniest Home Videos. Or, something equally challenging.
November 17th, 2008 at 3:11 pmObama’s grandmother’s funeral – ‘A campaign spokesman declined today to say when the service would be held, referring to the statement, which mentions “a small private ceremony to be held at a later date.”
http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2008/11/04/obama-and-his-grandmother-taking-time-off-to-grieve/
November 17th, 2008 at 3:12 pmjohnnyedwina, you’re a pathetic sleaze spammer, begone!
November 17th, 2008 at 3:22 pmThere must be some kind of contest on at the WH, to see how big and what kind of prepostrous, self-contradicting, irrelevant and absurd lies can be told in the last sixty days of the fiefdom.
November 17th, 2008 at 3:22 pmA very good question, impeachcheneythenbush. What does happen to all those “contractors”? And, perhaps more importantly, will they be disarmed or will Blackwater be able to establish a private army here at home?
November 17th, 2008 at 3:23 pmimpeachcheneythenbush Says:
I have a couple of concerns about the Iraqi agreement, neither of which I’ve seen addressed recently in the media. #1 – does the agreement address the issue of the militarized contractors in the country (Blackwater, et.al), and #2, since this agreement will necessitate continuing funding of troops until at least Dec. 31, 2011, why doesn’t our own Congress have to approve this agreement as well?
November 17th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
________
Good questions, and I haven’t seen them answered anywhere. I’m hoping Amy Goodman will have something on this tomorrow.
November 17th, 2008 at 3:23 pmWow! that was quick! Bye Bye spammie! Would you like some eggs with that spam?
November 17th, 2008 at 3:23 pmNext re-write of history from the BushitCo white house will involve denial that he caught his dick in his zipper, was just trying out the mayo and peanut butter release method for future reference.
November 17th, 2008 at 3:25 pmpete Says:
A very good question, impeachcheneythenbush. What does happen to all those “contractors”? And, perhaps more importantly, will they be disarmed or will Blackwater be able to establish a private army here at home?
November 17th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
_______
Good news – six of them will likely be facing trial for the Mansour Massacre:
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/11/17/headlines#2
November 17th, 2008 at 3:25 pmDana,enough of your lies,please go away. On Jan 20 we’ll all look for you on the new fox show “Lier Lier”.
November 17th, 2008 at 3:34 pmHmmmm … I have an “agreement” with my credit card company to pay them back the money they’ve extended to me on credit. I wonder how Amex would respond to me if I sent them a letter telling them that whatever monies I owe to them will be paid back at some future “apirational date?”
Just saying . . .
November 17th, 2008 at 3:46 pmhivanh Says:
There must be some kind of contest on at the WH, to see how big and what kind of prepostrous, self-contradicting, irrelevant and absurd lies can be told in the last sixty days of the fiefdom.
November 17th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
______
It reminds me of Malcolm Gladwell’s “perverse and often baffling” contest…
November 17th, 2008 at 3:53 pmSetting up dinner with a Jessica Biel or a Jennifer Love Hewitt is an “aspirational date” , you brainless ditz ; not withdrawing from a country we never belonged in and invaded and occupied illegally , anyway…..
November 17th, 2008 at 3:57 pmNo raids of homes “without an order from a judge” – there’s a novel idea, wonder if we could adopt a similar rule here?
November 17th, 2008 at 4:31 pmhussein toasterhead Says:
Bilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
Ok, since you are not willing to allow Obama the time he needs to make necessary changes and are condemning him for things you think he will do, you have now reached TROLL status.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
_______
Like it or not, sarco is bringing up some important issues that we should be watching critically and objectively. The man Obama has chosen as transition chief for intelligence issues – and who may be appointed as the new Director of National Intelligence – is someone who has gone on record as recently as 2007 supporting torture, supporting rendition, supporting domestic wiretapping, and supporting telecom immunity.
I have no problems watching what Obama is doing. I do have a problem with people trying to second guess him and criticizing him for something he hasn’t yet done. I’m frankly surprised you approve of that activity.
November 17th, 2008 at 4:46 pmpete Says:
A very good question, impeachcheneythenbush. What does happen to all those “contractors”? And, perhaps more importantly, will they be disarmed or will Blackwater be able to establish a private army here at home?
Well, I doubt that Obama is going to continue to pay Blackwater to keep mercernaries in Iraq. Blackwater is not in Iraq on their dime, they are there on our dime. As soon as we stop paying them, they will bring their people home. I hope that we don’t pay their transportation costs home considering what we are paying to have them there.
And, if for some reason Blackwater decided to keep their people in Iraq, I don’t think that the people in Iraq would tolerate that for very long.
November 17th, 2008 at 4:48 pmI thought I heard a while back, that Blackwater was not going to renew it’s Iraq Contracts.
The Iraqi Govt. is Decidedly Against Immunity from Iraqi Laws, for foreign Contractors.
Without Immunity, Blackwater will not risk operating in Iraq.
There Are Many foreign Contractors in Iraq that do not carry Weapons….they carry food,pipes, fuel,etc.
November 17th, 2008 at 5:13 pm“Aspirational dates”?? Someone could write an entire dictionary of Bush & co’s language mauling. They have euphemisms for everything. It’s actually pretty disturbing how they make up new words for anything that might bring criticism on them. They’re pretty sad.
November 17th, 2008 at 5:28 pm.
Does this mean the Bush Administration is setting a date to cut and run?
.
November 18th, 2008 at 1:36 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
And, if for some reason Blackwater decided to keep their people in Iraq, I don’t think that the people in Iraq would tolerate that for very long.
November 17th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
_______
And?
November 18th, 2008 at 7:49 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
I have no problems watching what Obama is doing. I do have a problem with people trying to second guess him and criticizing him for something he hasn’t yet done. I’m frankly surprised you approve of that activity.
November 17th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
_________
It’s not the things he hasn’t yet done I’m concerned with. Its the things he has done – and the people he’s surrounded himself with. When he brings into his inner circle someone who participated in some of the Bush administration’s most heinous abuses of power – torture, rendition, and illegal wiretapping, we the people have every right to criticize and second guess.
November 18th, 2008 at 7:53 am