The wind up.Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told a German magazine he supported prospective U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's proposal that U.S. troops should leave Iraq within 16 months.
In an interview with Der Spiegel released on Saturday, Maliki said he wanted U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq as soon as possible.
"U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes."
. . . .
"Whoever is thinking about the shorter term is closer to reality. Artificially extending the stay of U.S. troops would cause problems."The pitch.Let me give you a hypothetical, senator. What would or should we do if, in the post-June 30th period, a so-called sovereign Iraqi government asks us to leave, even if we are unhappy about the security situation there? I understand it's a hypothetical, but it's at least possible.
McCAIN: Well, if that scenario evolves, then I think it's obvious that we would have to leave because— if it was an elected government of Iraq— and we've been asked to leave other places in the world. If it were an extremist government, then I think we would have other challenges, but I don't see how we could stay when our whole emphasis and policy has been based on turning the Iraqi government over to the Iraqi people.Now, I recognize that this was McCain 2004 and not McCain 2008, but it seems that in light of this, McCain can do one of four things: 1. Flip flop; 2. Tell the Iraqi PM that he doesn't know what's in the best interest of his country AND flip flop; 3. Endorse Barack Obama's position on Iraq as it is now consistent with his beliefs vis a vie the "whole emphasis and policy" on Iraq; 4. Lie, bullshit and spin like there's no tomorrow. Which one of these four do you think the Straight Talking Express is going to endorse?
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