Iraqi version of SOFA called a ‘withdrawal accord.’
Iraqi version of SOFA called a ‘withdrawal accord.’
Late last month during the heated negotiations over the U.S.-Iraq security agreement, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki took issue with the pact’s terminology. “We don’t call it a security pact but an agreement to withdraw the troops and organize their activities during the period of their presence in Iraq,” Maliki said. Now that an agreement has been reached, which includes a mandate for all U.S. troops to leave Iraq by the end of 2011, Maliki’s terminology has been made official:
The Bush administration had sought a conventional status of forces agreement that would provide a semi-permanent basis for stationing troops in Iraq, while Obama campaigned on promises to withdraw all combat troops within 16 months of his inauguration. The Arabic language version calls the final agreement a withdrawal accord.
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No permanent bases! No long-term bases! Get us out NOW!
November 20th, 2008 at 10:04 amWhy wait for another 3 years? It’s THEIR country.
They want us out — let’s go.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:07 amIt’s plain as the nose on your face that Bush is mucking up our “understanding” of this agreement to make it look like Obama messed up.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:07 am“We don’t call it a security pact but an agreement to withdraw the troops…” Maliki said
– - Obama better be careful bein’ seen palin’ around with ingrates.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:10 amThe Arabic language version calls the final agreement a withdrawal accord.
Of course it does. They want us to leave as much as we want us to leave.
The only way to get around Bush, is to write the agreement in a language he cannot speak. We should have tried that with our Constitution 8 years ago…
November 20th, 2008 at 10:13 amMust be something wrong with The WH’s translatorometer again. Something MUST have gotten lost in the translations of al-Maliki because I didn’t see anything resembling the term “aspirational” in there when discussing the withdrawal. But it MUSt be there somewhere, Dana and Georgie are both under the impression that withdrawal is based on the situation on the ground. It almost appears that the Iraqi’s don’t want us there anymore and want us out ASAP. Nah, that couldn’t be it…what a bunch of thankless ingrates.(snarkitty snark)
November 20th, 2008 at 10:16 amBadmoodman; Are you being snarky this morn? Not that I mind. I love the sound of snark in the morning, it smells like….victory. (:-D)
November 20th, 2008 at 10:22 amWe need out of there sooner rather than later. We just cannot afford it in terms of our military and our budget.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:24 amI would like to see all of those billions going to help people right here at home. We need to spend this money on getting people back to work.
Obama–1 Chicken George WTF–0
And our man isn’t even in office yet. Just watch the score go up after 1/20/09.
Speaking of 1/20/09, maybe we will have something to replace old WTF’s legacy: 9/11/01.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:24 amNot having any military experience, I don’t know the logisitics of pulling out 140,000+ troops…but it’s gotta take at least 6 months to a year. Longer to permanently dismantle our bases and either bring our weapons back or distribute them to the Iraqi govt.
The security agreement, assuming it passes through Parliament, is the best deal either country could hope for
November 20th, 2008 at 10:28 amGood. Bring them home.
However, there is a big part of the agreement that the press seems determined to ignore. After June, 2009, our troops will no longer be patrolling Iraqi streets. They will be confined to bases unless specifically requested by the Iraqi government for help on specific missions. They will literally be just sitting around waiting over the next two years. Why is it that no one has covered that in more detail?
November 20th, 2008 at 10:29 amCrusty Old Bastard Says: And our man isn’t even in office yet. Just watch the score go up after 1/20/09.
Unlike the majority of people who run for the office, Obama was motivated by his ability to make a difference for the working class folks (us). We need to start electing more people like this, and we now know how to do it (grassroots campaigns).
With Tom Daschle appointed to tackle health care, and Rahm Emanuel already telling CEO’s to expect big changes for the majority of Americans and not them, I think Obama is going to run up that score higher than most of us imagined he could. It’s really refreshing.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:31 amHey if they want us to leave before Bush is ready, he can always call for regime change, invade Iraq, overthrow their government, and set up a free democratic – ohwait…
November 20th, 2008 at 10:39 amUncle Ho Says: Badmoodman; Are you being snarky this morn?
– - This morn?
November 20th, 2008 at 10:44 amI call it victory, let’s get the hell out sooner.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:46 amChris L, you make a great point, and when the Shiite’s start whacking Sunnis again, ya think the Shiite gummint is going to ask us for help to ‘quell the violence’?
November 20th, 2008 at 10:48 amChris L Says:
They will literally be just sitting around waiting over the next two years. Why is it that no one has covered that in more detail?
November 20th, 2008 at 10:29 am
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I also haven’t seen much about the SOFA’s provisions regarding private military contractors. Apparently they will no longer be immune to Iraqi law: http://www.democracynow.org/2008/11/19/steve_fainaru_on_big_boy_rules
November 20th, 2008 at 10:55 amRUCerious Says:
Chris L, you make a great point, and when the Shiite’s start whacking Sunnis again, ya think the Shiite gummint is going to ask us for help to ‘quell the violence’?
November 20th, 2008 at 10:48 am
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Pff, no problem! We already armed and funded the crap out of those Sunnis – they’ll be perfectly capable of fighting the Shi’ites. Now we’re just going to have to start arming Shi’ite and Kurdish militias, to make it fair. Maybe even a few Turkmen or Assyrian militias, too – they deserve a piece of the action as well…
November 20th, 2008 at 10:57 amFor anyone interested, I’ve found the original Arabic version on al-Jazeera.
Although it’s missing the title, the preamble is pretty clear:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:15 am
So how come the Iraqis see this as an agreement with firm dates and the Bushies are touting it as “aspirational” ?
November 20th, 2008 at 11:54 am